The Wedding Con
by just-jilyy
Summary: Broke and fresh out of uni, Lily Evans and Remus Lupin send out fake wedding invitations to billionaires in order to get the wedding gifts to make money. Only, they weren't expecting two of them to actually RSVP! Lily's previous internship for Sirius Black and her past relationship with James Potter can only mean one thing for the hastily planned wedding-shenanigans!
1. Prologue

**A/N: This story was born out of a seedling of an idea I came across while scrolling Tumblr that grew into this massive thing. I just hope that I can do it justice. **

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, despite how much I wish I could lay claim to James Potter. **

The entrance to the pub was dim and crowded as Lily Evans made her way through the door. She paused at the edge of the room, looking around the crowd for the familiar head of sandy blonde hair. Remus had told her to meet him here for a round after a very unsuccessful day job-searching.

Finally spotting her mate in the back corner of the pub, Lily wound her way around the clusters of uni students spread throughout the place and made her way to where he was sitting.

"I am so bloody tired of being broke." Lily sighed, dropping her messenger bag with a heavy plunk on the tabletop. She lowered herself into the bench seat of the pub booth. Her best mate, Remus Lupin, sat opposite her nursing a beer and nodding emphatically.

"I think I've eaten cheese sandwiches three days straight now."

"It shouldn't be this hard to get a job. We've just graduated! We're fresh into the world with energy and ideas, people should be snapping us up."

Remus chuckled and pushed a full mug of golden liquid towards Lily. She downed the drink, relishing in the burn at the back of her throat and relaxing her tense shoulders as she felt the alcohol start to work its way into her system.

The both of them were recent uni grads, fresh out of school with the hope of putting their degrees to use. Yet here they were, sitting in a pub and drinking away their frustrations. Remus's degree in political science, paired with his indecisiveness on what career he wanted was not making things easy for him—or paying his rent. And while Lily had a degree and experience in journalism, the fact that she couldn't manage to get a meeting with anyone relevant in her field was discouraging, to say the least.

"I take it your meeting didn't go well?" Remus asked.

"The assistant won't even take my name down, let alone schedule a meeting."

"Can't you get what's-his-name, the one you interned for, to get you an interview?"

"I left that internship two years ago, Black probably doesn't even remember me." Lily shrugged, sliding her empty mug back and forth between her hands. She knew that her statement wasn't even remotely true—she had become pretty close friends with Sirius while interning for him, though that probably had more to do with her involvement with his best mate than anything about her—but she couldn't bring herself to walk back into a situation that would surely be uncomfortable.

Even knowing that Sirius had exactly the connections that she needed—and would be more than willing to put her in contact with all the right people—she couldn't risk even the slightest chance of running into _him. _

"You ran that bloke's life for an entire year. There's no way he could forget you, and that mate of his…"

Lily held her hand up, stopping Remus. She didn't want to talk about Sirius or the mate of his that Remus was talking about. While Remus knew the basics of what had happened during Lily's internship two years earlier, she had never gone into detail about just how deeply it had all affected her. He sighed, but didn't press. Instead, he rose from the booth and grabbed the two empty mugs from the table.

"I'll get another round. You sit here and think up a way for us to make money quickly and easily. It'd be nice if billionaires like Black just gifted some of their wealth away, wouldn't it?"

As Remus made his way to the bar, Lily pondered his words. There was something there, niggling at the back of her brain. Her internship for Sirius Black—media mogul and businessman—had taught her a lot of things, but most importantly it taught her how little attention privileged people paid to their privilege. Sirius Black, for example, cared for his business dealings and his interviews, but paid no attention to the amount of money he spent on a daily basis.

Lily shook her head, breaking out of her thoughts and coming back to the present as Remus returned to his seat with two shot glasses. She raised an eyebrow as he slid one across the table to her.

"Rosie gave them to us on the house," Remus explained. "Someone ordered them before running outside to be sick. She didn't think they were coming back for them."

Lily winced but picked up the small glass—after all, free liquor was free liquor. The amber liquid inside smelt strongly of cinnamon, and Lily grinned.

"At least it's something I like this time."

"Lucky you. I can barely stomach the stuff after last New Years."

Lily chuckled, remembering the night clearly. They had decided to try their hand at bar-hopping with their mutual friend, Marlene and her girlfriend Dorcas. It was a first for them, seeing as both Lily and Remus hadn't been much for the social scene at uni. Remus had gotten so drunk that night that he had to stay at Lily's apartment and was still drunk the next morning. The hangover lasted for two days.

"Free is free, though." Lily replied, tipping her head back and swallowing the shot. Remus followed suit, grimacing heavily after swallowing.

"So why'd you have a shit day?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her cupped hands.

Remus rolled his eyes. "There're no jobs on the political market for people that aren't born into it or have the money to buy their way into it. Unless I want to work under some stodgy old professor doing all their research while they take the credit for the rest of my life."

"Have you tried the uni? Maybe they could use someone…"

"I've tried just about everything now," Remus sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "I don't know why I chose such a useless major. I should've done something sensible—accounting or something."

"You'd die of boredom as an accountant."

"That's probably true, but at least I'd die being able to pay my rent."

Lily reached over and patted his hand affectionately. "Something will come along, Remus. Until then, we've just got to keep trying."

Remus shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "All I can say is if something doesn't come along soon, I'll have to resort to criminal activity."

Lily tipped her head back and laughed, though she wasn't sure what was a reaction to Remus and what was the alcohol in her system. She had never been much of a drinker, and after a long day with little food the drinks she had consumed were having a bit of an effect.

"Remus Lupin—aspiring politician by day, con man by night. I can picture it now."

"Quite the same thing, aren't they?" Remus chuckled.

"Oi, you have a point." Lily grinned. "Maybe I should start hanging about with more upstanding people from here on out."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement. "Are you ready to turn in? I've got a potential interview tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath for it though."

Lily nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure. I should revise my CV, might get more interviews if I tweak it a bit."

"By tweak it do you mean actually talk about your accomplishments rather than downplay everything you've done?"

Lily rolled her eyes at Remus but turned away before he could see the faint pink tinge of her cheeks. He was right, after all. Lily had a habit of diminishing both herself and the things she had worked hard to achieve. She knew that she should proudly display both her accomplishments and her personality; however, years of being talked down to and being called worthless and a freak by her own sister made it hard to want to show off. Petunia had always made it very clear that it was preferable for Lily to be hidden in the background, and that was where Lily found herself most comfortable now.

She pushed herself out of the booth, swinging her bag back onto her shoulder and pulling her long auburn hair to one side so it didn't get caught under the strap. "Let me know how your interview goes."

Remus didn't say anything about her change of topic. Instead, he grabbed his own messenger bag and slung it over his head so that it rested against his back. He stepped back and held out his hand, nodding for her to make her way to the door first.

"Like I said, I'm not holding my breath, but I'll let you know what happens."

They made their way through the crowded pub, weaving in and out of groups of college students and clusters of stodgy looking businessmen in pressed suits standing around the bar. Lily took a deep breath of the crisp night air when they finally pushed their way out of the door. She could see the small puffs of foggy air coming from her mouth—it was nearly spring, but the nights were still like winter—and she tucked her hand under her arms to keep them warm.

Remus hailed her a cab quickly and held the door as she climbed in. Her flat was a thirty minute walk and while normally she wouldn't mind the trek the cab ride was much welcomed because of the icy temperature.

"You coming?" she asked, leaning to look up at Remus.

He shook his head. "My flat's just around the corner. Besides, you know I don't mind the cold."

"Goodnight then Remus. Good luck again, for your interview."

Remus smiled. "Night Lily. And thank you. But remember, if in the meantime you devise some brilliant plan to make a lot of money rather quickly, my flat payment is due end of month."

Lily chuckled and shook her head as Remus winked and shut the door of the cab. She waved and blew a kiss through the window as the car pulled away from the curb, watching as Remus tucked his hands into the pockets of his threadbare coat and began his walk to his flat, his shoulders hunched against the wind. Lily only looked away when the cab rounded the corner and Remus was out of sight.

She turned and settled into the seat, resting her head against the cool window and closing her eyes. There was still that thought there, niggling at the back of her mind—a memory trying to burst through, something small and forgotten that seemed like it should be relevant now_. It'd be nice if billionaires like Black just gifted some of their wealth away, wouldn't it? _Remus had said, triggering the idea. If only she could pinpoint the thought clearly, maybe—

"Where to then, Miss?" the driver asked, breaking Lily out of her thoughts.

She turned to look at the driver in the mirror, and apologetic smile on her face. "Right, sorry. Kynance Mews."

Lily remained quiet for the remainder of the ride, thanking the driver when he dropped her at the ivy covered archway leading to row of flats on the narrow, cobblestone street. She paid him, slung her bag over her shoulder once more, and made her way to the flat she shared with Mary, the thought that there was something obvious she was missing still flitting around her mind as she went.

**A/N: And here it is! Finally! I plan to stick to weekly updates for this story, either Thursday or Friday evenings—though I will try my very best to pick a day and remain consistent with it. I hope you enjoyed the beginning, and that you are as excited to read this story as I am to write it. Any feedback is always extremely appreciated—whether it's so much as an 'Ah!', what you liked/disliked, or constructive criticism—it is all welcomed and cherished! **

**xox**


	2. The Intern

**A/N: I know that I said before that I would only be posting on Thursdays, but I'm too much of a sucker when I have something finished and feel the need to post immediately. I'm also considering upping my posting frequency to twice a week—Mondays and Thursdays. Please let me know if you'd prefer that, or for me to stick to Thursday uploads only. **

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns it all. **

_Two Years Earlier_

Lily was late. There was no denying that as she rushed out the door of her apartment, hauling her messenger bag over her shoulder and flipping the lock on her way. She should have been at the coffee shop already, placing Black's order. She blamed her alarm—what manufacturer thought it smart to have an option to hit snooze more than three times? —and the fact that she had stayed up entirely too late putting the final touches on a proposal for Black.

The internship—on top of her full course load of night classes—was kicking her ass, but she didn't complain because the work was enjoyable. For as much as Black Black's reputation had made her nervous to work for him in the beginning, he was rather ace as an employer. Lily knew that even though she was running awfully late today, Black wouldn't mind if the work he didn't want to do got done and he had a coffee in his hand as soon as she entered his office.

He pretty much let her have free reign of just about everything, and the experience she was gaining just by writing press releases and managing interviews on his behalf more than made up for having to sort through his mail and make coffee runs.

It was due to said lateness and coffee pick-ups that Lily found herself rushing into the large, ornate building that Black used for his business at nine o'clock rather than her punctual seven o'clock that morning. Not used to the hustle of people moving through the foyer of the building—as she was usually there before anyone else—Lily found herself a little flustered as she tried to juggle her bag, the stack of mail under her arm, and the steaming cup of coffee for her boss.

"Running late, Lily?" the receptionist, Peter, called after her as she rushed past him to catch the elevator before it closed. She waved at him absently, throwing a brief smile his way before continuing on.

"Damn!" Lily exclaimed, watching as the door to the last elevator closed just as she reached the bank. She checked her watch and let out a huff of frustration. The elevators in the building were old, which meant they were slow. It would be at least five minutes before they reached her level again.

She turned on her heel, hiking her bag back onto her shoulder as she did, and smacked directly into something solid just behind her. The force of the impact would've spent her sprawling, if it weren't for the two strong hands that gripped her upper arms to keep her steady and on her feet. As it was, Black's cup of hot coffee was crushed between them and Lily sucked in a breath at the piping hot drink soaking her shirt thoroughly.

"Double damn!" Lily exclaimed, stepping back and pulling the white—and now completely sheer—material away from her chest.

"Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

Lily looked up into the face of the man she had so carelessly run into, her face flaming from the embarrassment. As she looked up at him, she was struck speechless. She hadn't seen him around before, which she knew because she would have _recognized_ him if she had.

His black hair was thick, sticking up in random places as if he hadn't bothered to brush it for several days. The black square frames of his glasses made it hard to determine the color of his eyes, but Lily caught a glimmer of amusement shining in them. The coffee that was so thoroughly soaking Lily had splattered on him as well, but his suit jacket had taken the brunt of the attack.

"I am so sorry, that was completely my fault." Lily said, wincing. "I hate to spill coffee on you and leave, but I'm really late as it is."

Lily reached into the outer pocket of her bag and pulled out a napkin. She handed it to him, gesturing to the wet spots on his suit, then ducked around him and hurried to the staircase.

Just before she opened the door leading to the stairs, she spared a glance back at the handsome stranger. He was standing there looking after her, holding the napkin she had shoved into his hand with a look of surprise on his face. She gave a small, apologetic wave, and he grinned at her and waved back, shaking his head.

Shaking her own head, Lily ascended the stairs as quickly as she could. Leave it to her to do something so completely embarrassing, she thought as she entered her office. She set the mail down on her desk and dropped her bag onto her chair. Her reflection in her blackened computer screen caught her eye and elicited a groan. There was no way the stranger hadn't seen the lacy outline of her bra in full detail.

There was no time to run home and change, she was already late enough as it was. Black would just get a laugh out of her misfortune while she delivered his coffee, then she would run to the shop around the corner and buy a new one. Pulling the damp material away from her chest in hopes that it would make it less sheer, Lily made her way to the kitchenette where the other staff took their lunch to snag some of the coffee from the communal pot. Black wasn't prone to the drip coffee made in the office—hence Lily's usual coffee runs—but something was better than nothing so she poured him a mug and made her way to his office, hoping he wouldn't notice just how late she was.

"Black, I have your mail here." Lily said as she entered her boss's office, pushing the door open with her shoulder to accommodate the stack of mail in one hand and the steaming black coffee in the other.

She turned and faltered briefly as she caught sight of a man sitting in the seat across from Black. A blush spread across her cheeks at her misstep and she quickly regained herself, moving to place both the mail and coffee on Black's desk.

"Ah, thanks Evans. Perfect timing." Sirius cocked his eyebrow as he took in Lily's disheveled appearance, but didn't say anything, for which Lily was extremely grateful.

"I wasn't aware you were in a meeting. I would've brought another coffee." Lily replied, glancing at the stranger. Of course, it was the man from the foyer. He was lounging in the armchair comfortably, looking at her appraisingly. His eyes dropped to her chest and her blush flared as she looked down to see that, despite her efforts, her shirt was sticking to her chest and her bra could be seen in great detail. Something about his gaze made Lily's skin feel hot and she quickly looked away.

"Not a meeting. This is just my mate, James."

The man stood, reaching to shake her hand. His white button up shirt was rumpled, tie hanging loose around his neck. He was missing his jacket; Lily couldn't help but notice. When he stood—he was almost a foot taller than Lily—she met his eye and felt a blush begin to work its way up her throat. She tried not to think about the fact that this man had just been privy to a rather embarrassing moment.

"James Potter." He said, smiling down at her.

"Lily Evans." She shook his hand, and when their fingers touched, she felt something like a spark shoot up her arm. Her blush flared again, and she looked down quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed. "Can I get you a coffee or anything?"

James waved her off and sat back down, a grin on his face. "I've had enough coffee for today but thank you."

She turned back to Black, though her entire body was still aware of James Potter sitting mere inches away.

"There's two wedding invitations there on top. Both are in February."

"Let me guess," Black said, picking up the two ornate envelopes and handing them back to her without sparing them a glance. "Valentine's Day weddings. How original. Do me a favor and send the most expensive thing on their registry."

"You didn't even see who's getting married."

Black shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "Don't care to either. I'm not going so it doesn't matter."

Lily nodded, knowing better than to question her boss and his strange whims. Black didn't even blink an eye at spending money.

"I'll get those sent out then."

"Brilliant." Black grinned at her, then turned his attention back to James.

Lily tucked the wedding invitations under her arm and turned back to the door, already ticking off her to-do list in her head; there was the press release for the following day, the Vogue "100 Hottest Bachelor's" interview, and the Time article about the youngest billionaires to review.

"Nice to meet you, Lily Evans." James Potter called out, breaking her from her thoughts. Her hand paused on the door handle and she looked back at him over her shoulder. He was still lounging in the armchair, a crooked grin on his face as he ruffled his hair with one hand. She felt her face grow hot again, the tell-tale blush of the redhead, and she smiled back at him.

"Nice to meet you too, James Potter."

Before turning back, Lily's caught Black's gaze. His eyebrow was raised as he looked between her and his mate, a curious smirk on his face. Not wanting it to look like she was lingering purposefully, Lily hurried out of the office, letting the door shut behind her with a click.

There was work to do. She could think about James Potter and his charming smile and messy hair later, when she was home in her quiet apartment, but for now she had articles to review and wedding gifts to send.

As Lily made her way back to her office, she was stopped short by Cecelia Blackburn grabbing her arm and pulling her into the break room.

"OW." Lily snapped, jerking her arm away from Cecelia. They had never gotten on well—Lily tried her best to avoid her around the company—so being accosted was jarring.

"Was that James Potter I saw in Sirius's office?" Cecelia asked, ignoring Lily as she rubbed her hand over her arm.

"What does it matter who Black is having a meeting with?" Lily questioned. Cecelia had a reputation for being a bit of a chaser, always keeping an eye on the businessmen who came to meet with Black. Lily knew for a fact that she had pursued Black in the beginning but had been turned down rather harshly, for which Lily couldn't help but be a bit glad for. It was bad enough working with the girl, she couldn't imagine what it would be like working for her.

Cecelia turned her nose up, looking at Lily with her ever-present haughty attitude. "James is my boyfriend. If he's here, I wanted to surprise him when he's finished with his meeting."

It was a wonder that Lily didn't show any signs of a reaction to Cecelia's words, what with her stomach dropping dangerously upon hearing them. Of course, James Potter would have a girlfriend, that bit wasn't surprising, given how fit he was; however, Lily found herself a little disappointed at seeing the type of woman he was attracted to.

"Right then, yes it was him. Now if that's all, I've got to get back to work." She blinked and turned away from Cecelia, trying her best to hide the disappointed tone of her voice.

"By the way, Evans, you look atrocious. You might want to consider keeping a change of clothes in your office, so you don't walk around looking like a disaster."

Lily bit her lip, fighting the urge to turn and give Cecelia a piece of her mind. If she had been anywhere else, she would have turned in a second with a sharp remark; however, the internship was the thing that would lead her to the next step in her career and she was actually paid for her efforts. With those thoughts keeping her in check, Lily made her way back to her office. She had just enough time to grab her purse and run to the shops for a replacement shirt before the phone meeting she had scheduled with Rita Skeeter from GQ.

Later that afternoon, Lily was jarred out of work by a knock on her open door. She spun in her chair and froze when she saw none other than James Potter standing in the entryway.

"Er…hello?" She said, looking at him curiously.

He grinned sheepishly. "Did I interrupt something important?"

Lily glanced at the pile of papers spread across her desk behind her and shrugged. "Not really, just normal day-to-day paperwork. Can I help you with something?"

James stepped further into the room. He lifted his hand to his hair and ruffled it a bit before letting it fall back to his side.

"Nah." She lifted an eyebrow and James grinned. "I just wanted to check in, make sure that coffee didn't give you any third degree burns or anything. Sirius would kill me if he had to pay out workers comp because I'm a clumsy git."

Lily laughed and leaned back in her chair. "No third degree burns to report, just a stained shirt and a case of mild embarrassment."

"No need for embarrassment." James grinned. "Besides, who am I to complain about a beautiful woman being pressed against me, even if just for a moment? Sorry about your shirt, although I can't truthfully say it didn't enhance the look."

Lily felt the stirrings of a blush on her cheeks and bit her lip to stop herself from smiling at his words. James was easy to flirt with, but Cecelia had just told her only a few hours earlier that he was her boyfriend. As much as Lily disliked Cecelia, she was not the type of woman to come between anyone in a relationship.

"I'm sure your girlfriend would be happy if you kept it to having just one woman pressed against you from now on."

James's brow furrowed. "Girlfriend?"

"Cecelia? Blackburn?" Lily asked, tilting her head to the side as she took in the baffled expression on James's face. "Do you easily forget the women in your life?"

"Cece?" James repeated, looking even more confused. His hand shot into his hair again, tussling the black strands. "She's not my girlfriend."

"She's not?" Lily sat forward, ignoring the sudden quickening of her heartbeat.

"No!" James laughed. "What ever gave you that idea?"

"Might've been that she explicitly stated that she was your girlfriend." Lily replied cheekily.

James shook his head and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. "Right. Well, she's not. We went on one date—against Sirius's advice, now I see why—and that was that."

"So, you get bored easily then?" Lily teased. The smile she had been fighting made its way to her face.

"Not if the bird is interesting enough." James replied playfully, winking dramatically at her.

Despite herself, Lily laughed. James Potter had a sharp tongue and she found herself wanting to match his wit. There was something about him that made her feel comfortable and set her on edge all at once, and though she had just met him that morning, she felt as though she had known him for ages.

Before she could respond, the office phone on her desk rang, startling her. The blush that had been present on her face since James's appearance in her office deepened and she laughed quietly.

"I've got to get that." She said, gesturing to the phone as she looked at James apologetically.

He nodded and grinned at her. "I'll see you around, Lily Evans."

"I'm going to hold you to that, James Potter." Lily called after him as he slipped out of her office before turning to her phone and immersing herself in her work once again.

**A/N: Feedback is my favorite! I'd love to hear from you. **


	3. The Idea

**A/N: Sorry for being a day late with the upload, I've had some personal stuff to deal with which has added a little bit of chaos to my life. Alas, I refused to get too behind or leave you too long without an update, so here is this week's chapter. Happy Reading!**

"I've got it!" Lily exclaimed as she opened the door to the flat she shared with Mary, who was out for the evening with her boyfriend, Reg Cattermole. Remus stood on the other side, arms weighed down by carryout bags full of food from their favorite Chinese restaurant—where Remus just so happened to pick up shifts from time to time.

"I didn't even know you had an interview." Remus replied, raising an eyebrow.

Lily stepped to the side to allow room for him to enter the flat, closing the door after him as she turned to follow her into the kitchen. Remus dropped the bags onto the tiled counter and began unloading box after box of food.

"I didn't." she replied, boosting herself to sit on the counter beside the stacks of takeout. "But I've got an idea."

"Do enlighten me." He handed her a fortune cookie and leaned against the counter.

"Remember last week at the pub? You said you wished there was a way for billionaires to just gift their wealth to people like us?" Remus nodded. "Right, well, it got me thinking."

Lily paused, fiddling with her fortune cookie and causing the wrapper to crinkle loudly in the silence. Remus—who knew that is was easier to let Lily gather her thoughts rather than push her to elaborate quickly—reached for the container of Kung Pao Chicken and dug in with fervor, foregoing the chopsticks for a fork.

"I remember when I was interning for Black, he got a few wedding invitations. He didn't even look at who they were from, just had me send the most expensive item on the registry."

Remus looked up from his food, fork poised midair. "What are you implying?"

"That billionaires _do_ gift their wealth to people."

"But neither of us is getting married." Remus laughed. "Hell, neither of us is even in a relationship."

"Like I said, he didn't even read the invitation." Lily shrugged.

She looked up from her fortune cookie—now devoid of its wrapper—at Remus, who was looking at her curiously. She knew she sounded crazy—and really, it probably was a bit mad—but it had the potential to be a brilliant scheme to tide the both of them over until they landed jobs.

"What are you suggesting, exactly? I'm a bit lost."

Lily bit her lip. "It wouldn't be hard to take a few photos and send out some invitations. I still have the contact list from when I worked for Black."

"So we'd be pretending to get married then?"

Lily nodded. Remus sighed and set his carton of food back on the counter. "Lily, I don't know—"

"C'mon, Remus. You said it yourself—the wealthy should gift people like us some of that wealth. This is exactly what you said, we'd be getting gifts from billionaires. You should see some of the stuff people register for!"

Remus still looked skeptical, so Lily pushed on. "I bought an electric mixer that cost £500. Can you imagine what we could do with £500?"

"We wouldn't have £500. We'd have an electric mixer."

"No! That's the beauty of it. We'd return everything we got and just get the money. I could pay for my flat, and you could eat something better than cheese sandwiches."

Remus leaned against the counter and stared down at his takeout container, his brow furrowed. Lily knew that he was mulling over her words, searching for ways it could go wrong or backfire on them. Remus was analytical, Lily knew that from being his friend for so many years, he just needed time to think it over.

"You really think it'll be that easy?" He finally asked, turning back to look at Lily. She nodded slowly, watching his face. It was clear the moment he made up his mind. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but fine, let's do it."

Lily grinned. "I guess we could add cons to our resume then."

Two weeks later, Lily found herself trudging through a field just outside of the city. The grass was knee high and golden in color because of the summer heat and lack of rain. Remus walked beside her, mumbling under his breath about how he must be crazy or stupid to be going along with this mad idea.

The pair stopped beside another woman in the center of the field. She was crouched down, hauling equipment out of two large black bags at her feet.

"Marlene!" Lily waved, catching her attention. The woman looked up, a grin crossing her face as she caught sight of them. She stood and waved back, a large camera in her hand.

Marlene McKinnon was one of Lily's good friends from uni. They had met in their first year's English course and their friendship had been forged over scathing remarks about the stupidity of Romeo and Juliet—neither of them believed gapping differences in age, a brief conversation, and suicide constituted the greatest love story ever written.

"It's been too long." Lily said, hugging Marlene. She pulled back and took in Marlene's leather jacket and the bright purple streaks woven throughout her long blonde hair. "I see your rebellious streak hasn't faded away yet."

"I don't think it ever will." Marlene smirked. She turned to hug Remus. "Hello you."

"Pleasure to see you, as always, Marlene." Remus replied cheekily as he hugged her back.

Marlene swatted his arm playfully. "You know you love me Remus. Your life wouldn't have been nearly as fun without me in it."

"If you mean I wouldn't have had nearly half the amount of hangovers, you'd be correct."

Lily smiled as she watched the two of them banter. Marlene was one of the only people Remus was ever comfortable opening up around and it was nice to see him having fun, as he so rarely did. After catching up on how their lives had been for the past couple months—Lily and Remus job-hunting, Marlene working on her photography and moving in with her girlfriend, Dorcas—Marlene gestured to Lily and Remus with her camera.

"Should we get started, then?" Marlene asked.

Lily nodded and shrugged out of her jacket. Marlene had given her pointers on what people normally wore for these types of shoots and Lily had heeded that advice when she tore her closet apart in search of what to wear. She had finally settled on a simple cream colored dress that she hadn't even known she owned. The hemline rested at her ankle, the material light and flowing around her slim legs. Her shoulders and back were bare due to the thin straps and generous cut of material. She had curled her long, auburn hair and left it down—partially because she preferred it down but mostly so that she didn't feel so exposed by the cut of the dress. Remus, as a man, was lucky in the fact that he only had to wear a suit.

Marlene took charge then, switching from carefree uni friend to professional photographer in seconds. She bossed them about, fluttering around them and rearranging their limbs as she saw fit before stepping back and clicking away with her camera. Lily did her best to follow instructions and keep a bright smile on her face despite the fact that Marlene clucked her tongue after every shot she took.

After what felt like several hours, but was probably much shorter in time than that, Lily finally broke down. She couldn't help but laugh, though she knew she was not contributing anything to the mood of her two mates. There was just something so silly and awkward about all of the poses Marlene was instructing her and Remus into. She couldn't imagine being comfortable enough with someone she loved in these poses—so standing nose to nose with Remus, staring into his eyes as she wriggled her fingers on her left hand at Marlene and her camera had Lily in a fit of giggles.

"Oi! You have to at least look like you're in love! These are supposed to be engagement photos, Lily!" Marlene snapped when Lily let out another snort of laughter at Marlene's insistence that they gaze into each other's eyes adoringly.

"But we aren't in love." Remus said. "And I've never been the best at acting."

"How do you even look like you're in love?" Lily asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at Marlene.

"Oh, you two are hopeless. You better cross your fingers that you don't get caught out."

"Can you just take the damn pictures already?"

Marlene waved Remus off and settled her camera on her hip. "Alright, you two clearly aren't good at the romantic gaze," she eyed them and Lily bit her lip to keep from laughing again. "Lily, step in close to Remus. Put your hand on his shoulder and look out over it."

Lily did as she was told, looking out over the field they were standing in. They were taking longer than Lily had planned for and it was nearly dusk, the sun barely illuminating the tops of the trees on the edge of the field.

"Now Remus, step a bit closer—there, that's it—and wrap your arm around her waist. Make it look like you're whispering something in her ear."

"This had better be worth it," Remus muttered, "I feel like a fool."

Lily grinned, keeping her eyes trained ahead. From the corner of her mouth she said, "Just picture that china set we saw. Cost a bloody fortune, that did. And the espresso machine and ice cream maker!"

"That ice cream maker is worth keeping! Ten flavors!"

Lily laughed loudly, her head tipping back as she did. She knew it was more than likely that Remus was being entirely serious about the ice cream machine.

"There! Perfect!" Marlene exclaimed, clicking away at her camera. Lily looked at her as she pulled the camera away and examined the screen, nodding happily. "That's the one."

"About time."

Lily nudged Remus in the stomach with her elbow before pulling away. "Thanks Marls."

Marlene smirked at her. "It's not every day I get asked to take pictures for a fake engagement."

"Plus the fact that we agreed to give you the Keurig if we get it." Remus said dryly.

Marlene laughed. "That too."

Lily rolled her eyes, smiling at her mates' antics. "When will the prints be ready?"

"I can have them back to you in a week, and that's including the editing to make the announcements."

"Brill. Just text me when they're ready and I can pop by and collect them."

Marlene nodded and began packing her things as Remus shrugged out of his coat and loosened his tie.

"Hate these bloody things." He said as she shoved the tie into his trouser pocket. "Fancy grabbing a bite before turning in for the night?"

Lily's stomach rumbled, causing the three of them to laugh.

"Guess we have your answer, Lil. How 'bout you Mar?"

"I could go for a bite." She replied, pulling the zipper of her carry case closed and heaving it onto her shoulder. "Want to ride back with me Lily?"

"Sure. Meet you at the pub, Remus?" Lily asked.

Remus nodded and departed, heading across the field towards the rusty clunker he drove when he was forced to venture out of the city.

Lily turned back to Marlene and grabbed her other camera case from where it lay on the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. The two of them walked through the empty field to the access road where Marlene had parked her car, Lily trailing her hands over the wildflowers as they walked. When they reached the car, Marlene took the bag from Lily and dumped them in the boot.

"Ignore the mess. My creativity leaves no room for organization."

"Coming from someone who doesn't even have a car, a mess is perfectly fine." Lily replied, opening the door and grabbing a stack of tabloids off the passenger seat before sliding in. She shuffled the pile of discarded coffee cups around on the floor board to make room for her feet.

While she waited for Marlene to settle in, a bolded headline on the tabloid on top of the stack caught her eye; "Global Entrepreneur James Potter named one of Vogue's Top 100 Bachelors". Lily's eyes skimmed the snippet of article, catching on words like 'ex-girlfriend Cecelia Blackburn' and 'mystery wedding date', before landing on the picture of him. He was dressed in a full suit—pressed shirt and tie done up properly—though his hair was in its usual state of disarray.

"Shit. Forgot those were in here." Marlene winced, catching sight of what had captured Lily's attention. Lily shook her head and tucked the magazine between the seat and console, giving a weak smile to Marlene. "Still gets to you, doesn't it?"

Lily considered lying, however, she knew her friend would be able to detect any false bravado she might be able to put up. "Sometimes. I just wish I hadn't been so foolish."

Marlene sighed. "You weren't foolish Lily. If anyone was foolish, it was that bloody git, letting you slip through his fingers for the likes of that—"

Lily cut her off. "Mar, no. It was silly of me to think that it would've worked. We come from two completely different worlds."

Marlene opened her mouth to argue back but Lily cut her down with a look. She held her hands up in surrender and Lily shook her head. "I think I'll go for a drink with my dinner."

**A/N: And there it is! I hope you've enjoyed it! Reviews would make my week, from criticism to a mere keyboard smash, I LOVE hearing from you all! xo**


	4. The Breakup

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters we all know and love so much, I just have them on lease. **

_One Year Earlier_

Lily found herself busier than ever as the seasons changed from summer to fall. Her new course load was heavy, her work through her internship for Sirius kept her on her toes, and any spare time she had was spent with James. Their relationship had developed quickly, leaving Lily slightly breathless with the headiness of it all. She found herself staying at his flat more week nights than not—she had even claimed a drawer in his dresser and kept a spare toothbrush in his bathroom. Sirius often complained that James stopped by the office to see her more than he ever had to visit him, and though he was teasing, James could not deny the truth behind the statement.

She spent so much time with James that even Remus and Mary had started to question the seriousness of the relationship—asking if she would be moving in with him anytime soon, or if they could officially meet him at some point in time. Lily had no qualms about her mates meeting James, but she couldn't help but be a little selfish as well. There was something almost magical about keeping James all to herself—not having to worry about all of the things that 'real' couples had to deal with—and she savored the nights that she could spend curled up by his side on the couch in his flat, just the two of them.

It was a cold day in September that Lily found herself walking to the office, her phone tucked under one ear and Sirius's usual coffee clutched in her hand as she made her way through the busy crowds.

"Fine! You can meet him, Mary. I'll ask him 'round for dinner this weekend." Lily said into her phone, sighing inwardly at her roommates' pushiness to meet James.

Mary squealed excitedly. "Finally! I was beginning to think you were making him up."

"Where'd you think I've been staying almost every night then?" Lily said, laughing.

"Dunno. You could've been at work for all we knew." Mary replied. Lily could hear her bustling around the apartment, already in a tizzy that James Potter would finally be in their apartment in the foreseeable future. It always surprised Lily that despite Mary's father's connections through his business dealings, Mary always became a little flustered whenever she had to meet anyone who could be described as posh.

Rolling her eyes, Lily angled her body and pushed the door of the office building open with her shoulder. She smiled at Peter as she passed the welcoming desk and headed to the elevators. Today must've been a lucky day for her—both of the ancient elevators were making their descent to the ground floor without her even pressing the call button.

"That's ridiculous Mary." Lily replied. "Listen, I've got to go. I'm about to get in the elevator, see you this afternoon."

"You'll actually be home this afternoon? Color me shocked, Miss Evans." Mary teased.

"James has an appointment that he suspects will go late, so yes, I'll be coming home this evening."

"Brill. I'll let Remus know. He can bring the Chinese and we can plan this weekend."

"Aces. Talk to you later then." Lily said, shifting her bag so she could grab her phone.

"Ta darling!" Mary chimed before disconnecting the call. Lily straightened and slid her phone into her pocket as the door to the elevator chimed.

She looked up as the doors slowly slid open, revealing a sight that had her stomach churning in an instant. Standing there in the ancient old elevators was James Potter—her boyfriend of the last year—with his mouth pressed tightly against Cecelia Blackburn's. Cecelia's fingers were wrapped tightly in James's scarf—the red and gold one that Lily had knitted him for his birthday the previous year, Lily couldn't help but note—and James's hand rested on her shoulder. It felt as though time had slowed down—like she was stuck in a pool of molasses—as she took in the picture that stood before her.

Sirius's coffee dropped from her hand as she sucked in a startled breath. She tore her eyes away from the scene before her, watching in horror as the flimsy to-go cup hit the ground and the lid popped off with the impact, making the coffee splash everywhere. Her shoes were soaked with the steaming dark liquid and droplets were splattered all over her.

Without looking back at James—there was no way Lily could look at him without breaking out in tears, which she absolutely refused to do at her place of work—Lily spun on her heel and ducked into the second elevator. She jabbed the call button furiously, willing the doors to close as fast as possible.

"Lily! Wait, Lily it wasn't what it looked like!" James shouted. He had disentangled himself from Cecelia and stepped over the mess of coffee that she had left on the floor. Lily bit her lip and forced herself to look at him, her gaze as steely as she could muster as she felt her heart clenching in her chest.

James reached out, trying to stop the doors to the elevator. His cheeks were flushed—probably from the snog he had just had with Cecelia in the elevator, Lily mused—and his eyes were bright with panic. Thankfully, the elevators were proving to still be on Lily's good side and she watched as they slid closed just as he reached them. The last thing she saw before the doors clanged shut and the elevator jolted upwards was Cecelia Blackburn standing over the puddle of coffee on the ground, arms crossed over her chest and a smug grin spread across her face.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Lily bolted for Sirius's office. The tears she was holding back were dangerously close to spilling as she closed the door and turned to face her boss. The thing was, because of her relationship with James over the past year, Sirius had become a friend as well, and as such he was able to read the look on her face.

"What's wrong Evans? You look like you've seen a ghost." Sirius asked, rising from his desk and stepping towards her.

"It's nothing. Sorry, I didn't mean to come in here like this." Lily said shakily. "There was a mishap with your coffee. I can get you some from the breakroom, if you'd like?"

Her voice cracked and Sirius furrowed his brow. "That's a load of bull, Evans. Tell me what's wrong."

Lily allowed Sirius to lead her across the room and settled into the plush armchair in front of his desk. She buried her head in her hands, willing the tears to stay at bay. She knew she was acting unprofessionally, but it felt as though her chest was cracking in half as she sat there, replaying the scene of Cecelia pressed against James.

"I went to get on the elevator and the doors opened to James kissing Cecelia." Lily said. Her voice sounded dead to her own ears.

"That fucking cow!" Sirius shouted, standing up abruptly. He turned back to Lily. "Are you sure James was kissing her?"

"The picture was painted pretty clearly, Sirius." Lily dropped her head back into her hands. Tears were beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes and she brushed them away furiously. "I've been so daft. I knew this thing between James and I was too good to be true. He _should_ be with someone like Cecelia, she fits into his world much better."

The words stung, but Lily felt the truth in them as she spoke. Cecelia was much better suited for the lifestyle that James lived. She was the type of woman to thrive on posh parties and red-carpet events. She absolutely lived for spending fortunes on her clothes and getting done up to appear in the tabloids. The woman thrived on attention. Lily was much happier spending a weekend curled up on the couch of her flat with a novel and cup of tea. She had known from the beginning that James's lifestyle and hers clashed. Still, knowing that you have different lifestyles doesn't just stop a person from falling in love. And fall in love she had, head over heels enamored. She thought James had been in the same headspace, but after witnessing what she had that morning, it was clear that he hadn't.

"Evans, I know James, and I know Blackburn." Sirius said, sitting back down beside her. "James isn't—and had never been—the type to mess around on a bird. He's a one-woman man, and I've never seen him as serious about a bird as he's been about you."

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Sirius held up his hand and continued. "And Blackburn is ruthless. If she wasn't so damn good at her job, I'd have fired her ages ago. She sees something she wants and she takes it, regardless of anything or anyone that stands in her way. She's coldhearted and cruel, and she's used to taking what she wants."

"You don't have to tell me about Cecelia. I know all about her." Lily mumbled.

"Then you should know that it was probably her that initiated the kiss that you saw. I'd bet anything that James pushed her away as quickly as he could."

Lily shook her head. "Cecelia has been in the back of our relationship since it began. I don't know if I can just justify this and get over it, Sirius."

A knock on the door stopped Sirius from replying. "It's James. Lily, are you in there?"

Lily's eyes widened in panic and she shook her head vigorously at Sirius. James knocked again as Sirius took in Lily's appearance. She looked frantic, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. Her cheeks were flushed and she still had coffee splattered on her clothes and in her hair.

"_Please._" Lily mouthed. "_I can't deal with him right now, please."_

Sirius turned, shaking his head. "Just me mate, be out in a minute!"

He turned back to Lily and looked at her with concern. "Take the day off. Use the back exit if you really can't face James right now, I'll take him for coffee to give you a few minutes."

Lily stood and hugged Sirius gratefully. "Thank you."

Sirius pulled back, keeping his hands on her upper arms as he held her at arms distance. "You're going to have to talk to him about this, Lily. You can't just shut down and not fix it. This thing between you two is worth more than that."

Lily bit her lip. She didn't know if she could face James again. All of the feelings that she had felt from the beginning were bubbling up to the surface—the vast gap between their lives, the feeling that she wasn't good enough, she wasn't the type of girl he belonged with—and overwhelming her. It had taken everything for her to open up to James, to put herself out there in a way that she had never done before, and she had been waiting for the shoe to drop from the moment he had first kissed her. Now that it had, she didn't know what to do.

"I'll try."

Sirius rolled his eyes, but gave her a small smile as he released her and turned to the door. Lily stayed in the armchair—out of sight from the doorway—as Sirius opened the door to his office and clapped James on the shoulder.

"Looking for Evans, mate? Haven't seen her. Walk with me, I need a coffee." He said, shutting the door behind himself.

Lily waited until she saw their silhouette fade from behind the frosted glass windows beside the door and stood. Without hesitating, she slid out of the office and made her way down the hall to the back staircase. When she was out on the street, Lily pulled her phone out of her pocket and hit Mary's contact information. Her roommate answered on the second ring.

"Lily? Everything okay?"

"I'll be home earlier than I thought, and I'm in need of a good cry. Are you home?" She was proud of the fact that her voice hardly broke at all.

"Oh sweetheart, what's going on?" Mary asked worriedly.

Lily laughed, the sound hollow and broken. "I'll explain when I get home."

After a night spent drinking copious amounts of alcohol from Mary's stash, consuming enough Chinese food to feed a small army, and crying on both Mary and Remus's shoulders more than a few times, Lily woke up the next morning feeling less than refreshed and more than a little wary about talking to James. She knew that she couldn't avoid him forever, but the thought of having to see him made her chest ache.

Lily knew, realistically, that James was not the type of man to have been cheating on her—especially with Cecelia Blackburn—and that she had overreacted upon seeing them in the elevator. She knew that James would have an explanation and that he would be able to smooth things over, there as even a really large part of her—her heart, the stupid, foolish thing—that wanted to make up and move on from there. However, there was also the part of Lily that was skeptical and hesitant. That little part of her brain that kept telling her that she was being foolish, that a man like James Potter was meant for more than the likes of her—her being small town Lily Evans, the girls whose own sister couldn't bring herself to love her. It was that small part that had won out, and she had made up her mind, even though her heart wasn't quite in agreement.

Shaking off those unpleasant thoughts, Lily rolled out of bed and reached for the ibuprofen and water that Mary had placed on her night table. She swallowed the pills and rose to her feet, stretching idly before grabbing her phone. There were ten missed calls and about a dozen texts, all from James—except for one from Sirius telling her to stop being a coward—but she ignored them, choosing instead to call James directly. He answered on the second ring and Lily felt her stomach clench again.

"Lily? I've been calling you since yesterday, look, you've got to let me explain what happened." James said. He sounded anxious and Lily closed her eyes. She knew what she was going to do, but it was _so much harder_ when she heard his voice.

"James," Lily broke off and bit her lip. This was harder than she thought.

"Can I see you?" James asked.

Lily's chest tightened. There was no way she could do what she needed to if she had to look into his eyes while doing it. Everything in her heart was telling her not to let go of him, and what little steel resolve she had would melt as soon as he was near her. She knew that, and she couldn't bear it.

"No, I-I don't think that's a good idea." She said quietly.

"Lily, I swear to you that Cecelia came onto me. She kissed me for all of two seconds before I pushed her off of me." James said, his voice cracking slightly and she knew that he could tell what was coming.

"I know. I know that you're honorable and sweet and would never do something like that. And I know Cecelia for the person that she is."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem, right? You know I'd never mess around on you Lily. I lo- "

"Don't." Lily interrupted. She dropped her face into her free hand and tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill. The fact that she had more tears to shed after her crying jag the previous night was surprising to her. "Don't say it. I can't do this anymore, so please just don't."

There was no way she could hear him tell her that he loved her and still end things. And she _had_ to end things. James was meant for more, and she would always feel as though she was holding him back. Maybe it stemmed from her sister not loving her, from being called a freak and a loser for years by her own blood, or maybe it was just something ingrained in her own mind. Regardless of what it was, Lily knew that she could not be in a relationship where she always felt less than—and though James had never once even implied that he felt that way—Lily couldn't help but feel that about herself.

"What do you mean?" James said quietly. "Are you ending this?"

Lily's voice cracked, but she forced the words out despite herself. "Yes, James. I have to."

"You don't have to, Lily. You're choosing to." James voice was quiet, but Lily could hear the accusation behind his words.

"I can't be in a relationship where I feel like I'm holding someone back. And I would, James, I would always be holding you back. I'm not meant for a life in the spotlight—I'm a behind the scenes kind of girl—and you deserve someone who can be that for you."

"That's a shite excuse Lily, and you know it."

"You may think its an excuse but its how I feel. I'm not meant for your lifestyle."

James remained silent on the other end of the line and Lily lost her battle with the tears in her eyes. She swiped angrily at them as they fell down her cheeks. There was only one person to be mad at—herself—and she knew that, but she wasn't one to change her mind easily once it was made up.

"I just get no say in the matter then?" James asked finally, breaking the silence that had been stretching on.

"I'm sorry." Lily whispered.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too." James replied, his voice hard and laced with bitterness. "I guess this is goodbye then, Lily."

She bit her lip again, this time hard enough that she tasted blood, to keep from screaming out the words that she really wanted to say—_I'm sorry, I'm being stupid, I love you_—and instead took in a shaky breath to reply. "Goodbye James."

The drone of the dial tone played back in her ear.

Lily sank back onto her bed, her phone clenched in one fist and her other hand hastily wiping more tears off her face. Her chest felt like an elephant was standing on it, making her breathing shallow and unfulfilling. All she could hope was that she was doing the right thing, that life would be easier this way and they would both be happier. A hollow laugh bubbled out of her chest at her own thinking. She already knew that it would be a long time before she would be happy again.

She unlocked her phone and opened the message from Sirius. _Don't be a coward_, he had said. She knew he would be disappointed, but he didn't understand, not really, the reason she had for her actions. Maybe she was a coward, but being a coward now, in the beginning, was better than loving someone and having them change their mind in the end.

She typed out a reply, one that she knew he would not agree with but would have to accept anyway, and hit send. Then she collapsed back onto her bed, pulling her down comforter around her tightly, and let the tears spill freely.

**A/N: Lily's text to Sirius is her resignation from her internship—she knew it would be too hard to have to face James and even Sirius, and as silly as it may seem she is dead set on sticking to what she thinks is best, which is ending their relationship. No matter the wording I used, I couldn't get it to fit in and sound even halfway decent, so you get the information here. **

**Also, this is one chapter that I'm just not sure about. I've never been great with angsty scenes, and this one was particularly difficult for me to hash out, so I would really love to hear any feedback or constructive criticism on this especially. **

**As always, I love hearing your feedback and every time I see a review in my inbox it makes my day just that much brighter! So, thank you, all of you, who leave reviews. I truly appreciate you. **


	5. The RSVP

**A/N: Another chapter, here at last! Hope you enjoy!**

After yet another long day of fruitless jobhunting, Lily returned to her flat feeling defeated. She had been out of uni for two months, and while she knew it took time to find a decent position being unemployed was beginning to weigh on her. The sight of a large package addressed to her sitting on her doorstep instantly brightened her mood—she had not ordered anything, so it had to be something from the registry she and Remus had completed two weeks previously. She juggled her bag as she fumbled around for her keys, pausing to smile at her neighbor, Mrs. Fig, as she left her flat pulling her creaky old shopping dolly behind her.

Lily finally managed to get the door open and entered her flat, pushing the package through the doorway with her feet. She dropped her bag on the bench by the door and kicked her shoes off. She could hear the faint strains of some catchy pop song playing from the radio in the sitting room as she bent to pick up the mail that was laying on the rug beside the door.

Clutching the stack of letters in one hand—bills, more likely than anything—Lily made her way into the sitting room, pushing the heavy package with her feet as she went. She found Mary sprawled across one of the loveseats. Her feet were propped up on the coffee table, a tabloid spread across her lap and a glass of wine in her hand. Mary looked up at Lily with a smile and closed the glossy pages of the magazine, tucking it between her and the cushions beside her before taking a sip of her drink.

"Hullo darling." Mary trilled, smacking her lips dramatically. "How was the prospective job market today?"

Lily sighed and plopped herself onto the sofa rather ungracefully, tucking her feet beneath her as she settled. "Nonexistent, it seems."

"Something'll come along soon." Mary replied. Her eyes caught on the package. "What's that?"

"Dunno. I think it must be something off the registry."

Mary's eyes lit up and she popped up out of the loveseat and settled on the couch beside Lily. She was more excited about the whole scheme than Lily and Remus combined—Lily thought that might be because she had always had to behave herself so as not to ruin her father's public image—and had confessed to Lily that the thought of being involved in a con gave her a thrill.

"Are you going to open it?" Mary asked, leaning towards the package with barely contained enthusiasm.

Lily waved her hand. "Go ahead. I've got to sort through this mail. We've never had such a large stack in a day."

She settled back into the cushions as Mary jumped up to grab a box cutter from the kitchen and began sorting through the envelopes. Several of them were bills, just as she had expected—Mary's credit card statements, Lily's cell phone service bill, and notes about student loans—but there were two thick envelopes marked with her address but no return address.

"Are you expecting mail, Mar?" Lily asked, holding the envelopes up so Mary could see them. Mary glanced over from where she was hacking at the package with the box cutter and shook her head.

Shrugging, Lily set the stack of bills on the coffee table and slid her finger under the flap of the first envelope. A heavy sheet of paper slipped out of the envelope and into her lap. She turned it over and brought it up, so she could read it but as soon as she saw the elegant script she froze.

_Evans, _

_You're getting married?! I'll be there._

_See you soon, _

_S. Black _

Lily's ears were ringing, and everything seemed as if it were happening some distance away from her. She knew Mary was beside her, ripping the bubble wrap out of the box that she had finally managed to open, and the strains of the newest hit on the radio station was playing in the background. She felt as though time were frozen. _How had Sirius gotten an invitation? And why was he RSVPing to a FAKE wedding?_

"Lily look! This is incredible." Mary said, the excitement in her voice breaking through Lily's panic. She was pulling a large chrome espresso machine from the box. Lily recognized it—Remus had found it and placed it on the registry after seeing that it was almost £600—but even the thought of returning it and having all that money couldn't shake the cold feeling spreading across her chest.

She set the parchment down and turned to the other envelope, though she had a sinking feeling she knew exactly what she would find when she opened it. Her hands shook as she slipped her finger into the flap and pulled it open. The same heavy cream paper from the first letter dropped out of this envelope and into her lap. Lily braced herself, closing her eyes and sucking in a shaky breath before she flipped the paper open and read the words written in all too familiar script.

_Lily, _

_I'm happy that you found someone that makes you happy._

_I'm sure you'll look stunning, can't wait to see you and meet the man that won your heart._

-_James_

The paper dropped from her hand, floating to the ground to rest near her feet. Lily's entire body went cold with sheer panic and a sweat broke out on her forehead. Her chest constricted, and her vision blurred. _Shite. Double bloody fucking shite._ James Potter and Sirius Black had RSVP'd to her wedding. To her _FAKE_ wedding. What Lily didn't understand was how in the bloody hell they had gotten an invitation in the first place. She had specifically written a list of appropriate people to send the fake announcements to—people that wouldn't question it or know who she was—and James _bloody_ Potter and Sirius _fucking_ Black were NOT on that list of people.

Mary, having finally realized that something was wrong with her, turned to Lily. "Lily? What's wrong? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

Lily swallowed and brought her eyes up to meet Mary's. The blind panic she was feeling was clear in her expression. "Seeing a ghost would be loads better than this."

"Die someone die? What's going on, I'm starting to freak out here, Lil."

Lily reached down and picked up the piece of parchment that had fallen to her feet. Wordlessly, she handed it, along with Sirius's note, to Mary and watched as her roommate read the words on the papers.

"Holy shite." Mary breathed.

"My thoughts exactly."

"What are you going to do?"

"First, I'm going to call Remus and figure out how in the hell this happened." Lily replied, standing up from the couch with a newfound purpose. "Then, I'm going to start planning a damn wedding."

Mary's eyes widened. "Planning a wedding? You're actually going to marry Remus?"

Lily hardened her gaze. "Of course, not actually, but what else am I supposed to do, Mary? Admit that its all a con? I refuse to look that pathetic in front of James Potter."

"So, you're actually going to throw a fake wedding?"

"As long as Remus goes along with it—which he should, because he sent out these damn announcements in the first place—I'll do whatever it takes to make sure James doesn't find out the truth."

"You mean the truth that you're still in love with him, or the truth that this whole wedding business is a scheme." Lily narrowed her eyes at Mary, who raised her hands in false surrender. "Right, crossed the line, sorry."

"I'm going to call Remus and see how the hell this happened." Lily replied, choosing to ignore the all-too-truthful statement Mary had just made. The panic she had felt upon reading the RSVP notes from the two men she had made a point to not include on her list of addresses for Remus to send the invitations to had subsided slightly and was being replaced by a steely determination to take control of the situation. By the time she got to the front hall and fished her cell phone out of her bag she had already mapped out a plan in her head of how to pull off an entirely fake wedding. She made her way into the kitchen, tapping Remus's contact picture as she lifted herself onto the bar stool.

"Hullo?" Remus answered on the second ring.

"Care to explain why I have two RSVPs to our wedding from the two people in the world that never should have known about this?" Lily said without preface.

"Lily? What do you mean?" Remus asked. "I sent out announcements to everyone in the address book that Mary gave me."

"Book?" Lily questioned. She ran her hand through her hair. "It was a list, not a book."

"Mary gave me an address book. That's what I used to send out the announcements." Remus replied slowly.

_Shite. _Lily knew immediately what must've happened. She had left Mary in charge of giving Remus the list of her contacts to send the announcements to, and instead of giving him the addresses she had selected, Mary had handed Remus her entire address book. She ran her hand over her face, expelling a harsh breath.

"So, who sent an RSVP?"

"Sirius Black and James Potter." Lily said, her voice betraying her by cracking at the last name.

"Fuck."

"Exactly."

"So, what do we do?" Remus asked.

"Remus, I…I can't admit to this. I can't embarrass myself any more than I already have in front of him."

"You never embarrassed yourself Lils." Remus said, his voice tinged with concern. She had never told him the whole story of what had happened between her and James, but he had always insisted that James was the idiot for letting her walk away. It had just been easier to let him, and Mary believe what they did about her breakup with James—Lily's issues were her own, and neither one of them would ever understand how she felt so inadequate—than to try and explain all her reasons for letting things end rather than fight to stay together.

"Look, it was a messy breakup and I can't stand looking like the pathetic ex having to admit to this con. It would look like I planned it just to see him or something."

Remus sighed. "What do you want to do then, Lily?"

"I want to go through with this. As long as we must, as much as we need." Lily said, biting her lip and running her hands through her hair again as she leaned her elbows on the counter. "I want them to believe this is real. I don't know what I'll do if I have to admit this is all fake to James. I can't even imagine having to do that…"

"Lily…are you sure about this? I don't—" Remus paused, exhaling sharply. "I'm not sure this is the best idea."

Lily remained silent. She knew it was mad. This whole idea had started off as an entirely insane thing, but now it was even more crucial to follow through with it. There was no way she could face James Potter—the man that she had so stupidly fallen in love with and then gave up on so easily—and tell him that it was all a lie. There was no outcome that wouldn't paint her as some mad woman who wanted to win him back in such a ridiculous way.

"You know what?" Remus said, breaking the silence. "Fine. Let's do it. Its not like we're really getting married. Just making them believe we are, right?"

Lily lifted her head. For the first time since she had opened with RSVP notes, she felt some of the panic subside and a glimmer of hope that she could somehow rectify the situation blossom in her chest. "Right, exactly. Obviously, we wouldn't really be getting married, that's absurd."

"Alright then. I don't know how you talk me into these things, Lily Evans, but lord knows you keep life interesting." Remus laughed.

"You know you love me." Lily teased. Her breathing was steadier now, almost back to normal. She felt the pressure lifting off her chest. Remus was her go-to, always reliable best mate. With him in her corner, she knew that despite how hard it would be to see James again—how hard it would be to refrain from running into his arms and telling him how she actually felt about him—Remus would be there to help diffuse the situation and keep her calm.

"Too true." Remus said. "That's the only reason I'm going along with this mad scheme anymore."

The laughter faded from Lily's voice as she chewed on her lip and sincerely said, "Thank you Remus. I owe you more than anything."

"I'll hold you to that one of these days, you know."

"I'm counting on that." Lily replied. "Night Rem."

"G'night Lils. Talk to you later."

Lily ended the call and dropped her phone to the counter. There was a chance that everything—mostly her pride-was salvageable. She even had hope that seeing James might not rip the remainder of her heart to shreds, that it might even be pleasant—if not a little heart wrenching—to see James again. And not considering anything else, Lily was happy that she would be seeing Sirius soon.

She spun the bar stool around, a smile blooming on her face when Mary entered the kitchen. She was carrying the opened package that Lily had completely forgotten about in her moments of panic. She brilliantly shining chrome espresso machine was clearly visible over the edges of the box and Lily felt a flutter of excitement that, despite a few hiccups in the form of unexpected RSVPS, her plan seemed to be working.

"Everything okay?" Mary questioned hesitantly, setting the box down on the kitchen table.

"It will be." Lily replied. She hopped off the barstool and moved across the room to where Mary stood. "I forgot to tell Remus our first gift came. We'll have to meet sometime to return them."

Mary glanced longingly at the espresso machine. "Do you have to return everything?"

Lily laughed. "Yes, Mary. That's the entire point of this madness to begin with."

Mary sighed and sat down. "Fine. So, what did Remus say about James and Sirius actually planning to attend this wedding that isn't actually happening?"

"Well, that's the thing Mary," Lily paused, grinning at her roommate. "We have a wedding to start planning."


	6. The Wedding Date Part 1

James Potter didn't let much ruffle him. Compared to his best mate—a bloke better described as a brother to him—he was known for his cool head. However, upon receiving that morning's post, James's cool head was nowhere to be found.

"What in the bloody fuck is this?" he questioned, storming into Sirius Black's office and waving around the elegant piece of parchment with the picture of a stunning redheaded woman in a sultry cream-coloured dress clinging onto a brown headed bloke in an aging suit, a wide smile on her face as she laughed.

Sirius looked up from the stack of papers piled in front of him on the desk. "Ah. So you got one too. I was wondering if you would."

"Is this supposed to be a joke?"

"Don't think so mate." Sirius replied, leaning back in his chair and propping his hands behind his head as he surveyed James, who was pacing around the office with his hands shoved into his mess of hair.

James expelled a loud breath and sank into one of the plush armchairs facing Sirius's desk. "She's really getting married then."

"S'ppose so." Sirius shrugged. "She's been friends with this Remus bloke for ages, even before she worked here. Maybe they just realized there's been feelings there the entire time?"

James glared at the embellished photograph on the announcement he was holding. His chest tightened as he took in the small details—the glint in her eye, the wide smile on her face, the way the bloke's hands rested so casually on her waist as he held her close—and without thinking, he closed his hand and crumpled the announcement in his fist. His head dropped into his other hand and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain spreading and gripping his heart in a vice.

"Fuck." James finally exhaled.

"Shite." Sirius said, leaning forward in his chair and propping his elbows on his desk as he studied James. "You're still not over her?"

James couldn't look at Sirius. He knew exactly what his mate would see in his eyes—the raw, tearing emotion that had been bubbling inside him for the past year—and James wasn't sure if he was ready to have a conversation about that just yet. The thing was, Sirius's words held more truth than James had been willing to admit—even to just himself—out loud.

"Bloody hell, you aren't, are you?" Sirius groaned. "Well, we can't go then, can we?"

James's eyes shot to Sirius's. "What do you mean?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat and twined his fingers together in front of him. "I mean, James," Sirius said dramatically, "that if we went to Lily's wedding it'd be a complete shit show. Not just for her, but for you as well."

"I wouldn't do anything to ruin her day." James argued. "I'm—it's good that she's happy."

"Mate, c'mon. Are you really going to be able to stand there and watch as she marries someone else? Maybe if you hadn't just basically admitted to still being in love with her I'd buy that."

"It'd be rude not to go." James sighed. He knew Sirius was probably right, it would be hard for him to watch Lily marry a man that wasn't him, but she had invited him for a reason.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You and your bloody morals. I'm going to start checking your post for invitations and the like so I can get rid of them before you RSVP and drag me along."

"You know mum taught us to always attend an event we were invited to." James replied as he pushed himself up from the armchair. The crumbled announcement was still in his hand, but instead of tossing it into the bin, he slid it into his pocket. As pathetic as it was, he knew he would smooth it out and look it over a few more times before feeling like a complete prat and forcing himself to toss it out. That was the kind of effect Lily had on him—making him do prat-like things—from the very first day he saw her.

"Mum taught us a lot of things, doesn't mean I do all of them." Sirius snorted.

"I don't care if you choose not to go, but I have to." James crossed the room and paused with his hand on the door knob. "I have to know that this is real for her, that she's truly happy with this bloke."

"Damnit James." Sirius sighed. "Of course I'm not going to let you go alone. What else is a brother for, if not to be there to keep you from making a complete arse out of yourself?"

James gave a curt nod and tossed a grin over his shoulder at Sirius. He was careful not to meet his eye, knowing that Sirius would be able to read more from his expression than James wanted him to see. "Right. I've got to go. See you back at the flat then?"

"Yeah, see you later mate." Sirius called after him, as James had already opened the door and stepped out of the office, his mind racing.

He had three months until October—three months until Lily, the woman he was still hopelessly in love with, married another man—which meant he needed to find a way to get his emotions under control. As much as he wanted to see her—needed to see her—to know that she was truly happy, he also knew that he couldn't let her know how he still felt. There was the level of pathetic that was still being in love with the woman who had dumped you unceremoniously and without warning, and then there was the level of pathetic that was attending said woman's wedding and making a scene when it was very clear that she was no longer in love with you. James refused to stoop to the latter.

_Eighteen months earlier_

Lily Evans was a fascinating woman. After their disasterous first meeting, and the subsequent slightly-more-than-flirtatious conversation in her cubicle that same afternoon, James's thoughts had been plagued with visions of the redhead. There was just something about her that drew James in, kept him wondering about her. He had dated his fair share of women in his life, but not a single one of them had captivated him the way Lily did. James found himself going out of his way just to see her. He would make excuses to stop by Sirius's office space—something he had rarely done before, mostly in an effort to avoid the Blackburn bird that was always throwing herself at him—and he always made a special effort to run into Lily while he was there.

The thoughts of Lily flitting through his mind were especially prominent that morning as he dressed to meet her for coffee. Their meetings had been casual up until that point—him running into her in the office, mostly—but their meeting today was planned. It was a _date_, even. And he looked like a complete git, walking around his flat with a dopey grin plastered across his face. It was sheer luck that Sirius wasn't there to take the mickey out of him for it.

With one last look in the mirror at his appearance—he was going for the casual look with a pair of jeans and a red plaid flannel—James ruffled his ever-messy hair and headed for the hallway. As he slipped on his trainers, the mail flap in the door snapped open and a stack of mail dropped onto the hardwood flooring and slid, stopping in front of his foot. James picked up the post, shuffling through the heavy envelopes.

Most of it was for Sirius, a few bills tossed in the mix, but there was one thick envelope with flowing green ink script across the front addressed to him. James walked back into the kitchen and tossed the stack on the table, not bothering to open the one that was for him. His mum had already warned him that he would be receiving it—a wedding invitation for his cousin—and that despite the fact that it was only three weeks notice, he was required to attend with a plus one. Luckily, he knew just the woman to ask to go with him, and he couldn't help the grin that returned to his face as he walked out of his flat to meet her.

James saw Lily sitting at the table outside of the small shop on her university campus and paused, taking the moment to take her in. She was beautiful, with her long auburn hair hanging loose and curling around her face. Her brow was furrowed and she was biting the corner of her lip in concentration as she flipped through the pages of a heavy looking book. It was odd, almost, to see her in such a casual outfit—an dark green sweater that hung off one shoulder and a pair of faded jeans—after only seeing her in the business causal attire that she wore in Sirius's office.

Almost as if she had felt his eyes on her, Lily looked up and met his gaze. She smiled and waved, her eyes brightening as she tucked a slip of paper between the pages and closed her book. He closed the gap between them, stepping around the table and leaning down to kiss her cheek. The blush that crept across her cheeks brought a warm feeling to his chest.

"Hi." James grinned.

"Hi." Lily breathed, smiling up at him. She shook her head and laughed a little. "I was waiting for you to order."

He held out his hand and she took it, her fingers twining perfectly with his own. "Let's go order then, shall we?"

Lily led him into the shop, which was packed with uni students cramming for their mid-term exams. Every table was piled with books and papers, students frantically highlighting or gesturing excitedly as they explained their point. As crowded as the shop was, there was no line, and they made their way to the counter quickly.

"The breve macchiatos are to die for." Lily said as she grinned up at James. He couldn't help but notice she hadn't let go of his hand, and he grinned back down at her as the warm feeling he had in his chest spread even further.

"Guess I'll have to try that then, seeing how you're the expert."

Lily laughed. "Marlene is more of an expert than I am."

"An expert on what?" asked a tall blonde as she walked around the corner from the back room and up to the counter. She looked from James to Lily, her eyes catching on their entwined hands, and back at James.

"You're the expert on coffee." Lily replied. The blonde, Marlene, returned her gaze to Lily and smiled. "You turned me on to the breve macchiato, after all. I was just telling James how incredible they are."

"Ah, so this is James then." Marlene said, raising an eyebrow. Lily's blush deepened and James smiled widely. He held his hand out to Marlene, who shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Marlene."

"So, two breves then?" she asked. Lily nodded and Marlene rang them up. Before Lily could even reach for her wallet, James presented his card. Once they were paid up, Marlene turned to the machines and started on their drinks and Lily and James made their way to the pick-up counter at the other end of the shop.

"You didn't have to pay." Lily said, looking up at him.

James laughed and squeezed her hand. "A gentleman always pays. And if my mum raised anything, it was a gentleman."

"Good to know." Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. James found it hard to look away from her. He found it even harder to stop thinking about kissing her, especially when her lips tilted up as she smiled at him.

James was both thankful for and resentful of Marlene when she set their drinks on the counter and cleared her throat. The grin on her face was a little too knowing for his liking—reminded him too much of Sirius—and it only grew broader when her eyes took in their still entwined hands and the lack of space between their bodies. Lily must've cottoned on as well, because she coughed and shifted away from him slightly, reaching for her coffee as she blushed harder.

"Thanks Mar." Lily said, holding her coffee up.

"You two enjoy those. And nice to meet you James." Marlene tipped her head at James before turning to Lily and raising an eyebrow. "Talk to you later, Lily."

Lily waved vaguely and turned to the door, tugging on James's hand, indicating that he should follow her. The made their way back to the table she had been sitting at when he arrived and sat, James reluctantly letting go of Lily's hand as they did. James sipped his coffee and closed his eyes, savoring the richness of the drink.

"I told you it was amazing." Lily laughed.

"Heavenly." James said reverently. "I don't think I'll drink coffee any other way again."

James found it incredibly easy to talk to Lily. She was brilliant—of course, he had already known that—taking three night classes on top of working for Sirius during the week. She told him about her family: how her parents had been so proud of her for going to uni so far from home and working her arse off to get top grades, how her sister was a complete cow to her but Lily still loved her, despite it all. And when she brought up her parents' deaths, he had gotten up and wrapped her in a hug that had lasted longer than normal but he had still not wanted to end. He told her about his mum and dad, how they were self-made billionaries with their hair product company, and how he had chosen to skip uni to take over the company for his parents in their aging years. He also told her about how Sirius had become more of a brother to him than a mate, and they had ended up making it official when they were both fifteen.

It seemed there was nothing that they couldn't talk about. With each topic they covered, James felt himself getting drawn in even deeper. He had never wanted to know so much about any other girl he had been with. Hell, he had never wanted to share so much about himself with anyone other than Sirius. James had known it from the moment she bumped into him and spilt coffee all down herself, but that fact had been solidified as they drank their coffee and shared their lives—Lily Evans was incredible, and he didn't want to let her go.

She was in the middle of telling him about what it had been like growing up by an old mill when his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. She paused and he apologized, taking it out to see a text from Sirius asking where he was. Confused, James looked at the time, only to be shocked to see that he had been with Lily for the entire morning and most of the afternoon. Lily, who had taken the opportunity to look at her own phone—which had been laying on the table facedown and ignored—was just as surprised as he was to see that the day had slipped away from them.

James tucked his phone back into his pocket and sighed. "I guess I've got to head off. I forgot Sirius and I were supposed to have dinner with mum and dad tonight."

Lily smiled at him. "That's sweet. I've got to go as well. Mary's expecting me; we have a midterm we're supposed to study for with some friends."

"I'm sure you'll do fantastic." James grinned. He stood and held out his hand, and when Lily took it he pulled her to her feet. "Thank you for today."

"Of course. I had a wonderful time." She turned to pack her bag, shoving her book and phone inside before swinging it onto her shoulder.

"Before I forget," James said, "there's this thing I'm sort of obligated to go to—my cousin's wedding—and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? It's a little short notice, only three weeks out."

Lily's smile grew and she beamed up at him. "I'd love to James."

"Brilliant." James said happily. "I have something to actually look forward to now."

The blush that spread across Lily's cheeks traveled even further, creeping down her throat and dusting her chest. James couldn't help but appreciate the fact that he was the cause of it. Knowing that he had an effect on her as much as she had on him caused the warmth that was taking up residence in his chest to grow and wrap itself around his heart.

Lily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She reached up, settling her hand on his shoulder as she rose up on her toes and brushed her lips against his cheek. James wanted more than anything to turn his head just slightly and press his lips to hers, but he refrained. A kiss on the cheek was more than enough, for now anyway, and he didn't want to push her too far or too fast.

"See you later." Lily said, her lips so close to his ear that her breath tickled the hair on the back of his neck. He fought back a shiver.

"Yeah." He replied. He felt like his mind was frozen in place, thinking of Lily's lips against his own. "See you later then."

Lily let out a breathy laugh and stepped back. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder before turning and starting off down the walkway. James stood and watched her walk away from him. His resolve to be content with just a kiss on the cheek nearly crumbled when Lily paused and looked back at him with a smile and wave before setting off again, her bag bouncing against her hip and hair swaying as she went.

If there was one thing James knew for certain, it was that Lily Evans was incredible—and dangerous to his heart—and he just could not get enough of her.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was interesting to write from James's POV. As always, I look forward to any and all feedback. I hope you all review and let me know what you're enjoying so far. Constructive criticism is more than welcome as well!**


	7. The Wedding Date Part 2

A/N: First of all, I want to thank you all so much for being so patient while I was on hiatus! Life got crazy; one divorce, two kids, two jobs, full-time university courses, and a few other things added to the list. So thank you for understanding, and I sincerely hope that the wait was worth it 3

The night was perfect. Despite the extravagance, the flashing lights of the photographers outside of the venue, and the brief and fleeting moment in which Lily felt like she was entirely out of place, she could not describe the night as anything less than magical in full. The success of the night was owed in large to James, who was exceptional at keeping her grounded. In the moments where she started to get anxious, or feel as though she didn't belong, James would squeeze her hand or slide his arm around her waist and remind her that she had a place—beside him.

It was now, however, that Lily's nerves were really starting to hit her. There had been a vibrating tension between her and James from the beginning of the night—a spark that had been flickering for a while but that had been fully illuminated the moment he had picked her up and had been stoked with every look and touch they shared—and now was the moment of truth. The bride and groom had made their escape half and hour earlier, and the remaining guests were trickling out in droves.

Lily stood to the side, sipping her cocktail as James said his mandatory goodbyes to drunken uncles and giggling cousins. She watched as he grinned winningly at a great-aunt as she made some comment about his tie being crooked and bit back a smile when that same great-aunt reached up and pinched his cheek. James glanced over at her and caught her eye, his hazel ones glinting with amusement and something else that flooded Lily's body with heat.

She wasn't sure if it was the look in James's eye or the drink in her hand—if she had to guess, it was a little of both—that made her feel brave enough to push away from the wall and make her way to his side.

The great-aunt had finally made her way out the door and there was a break in the crowd, which Lily took advantage of, slipping her hand around James's—ignoring the tingle of anticipation that shot down to her toes as soon as she touched him—and she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Are you ready to go?"

James stiffened beside her, his eyes widening as he turned to face her. She felt a blush spread across her cheeks—partly due to her unusual forwardness, but mostly because the look he was giving her was stoking the fire even more.

"You're ready for me to take you home?" James questioned, his voice holding a trace of uncertainty and a little disappointment.

"I'm ready to leave, yes." Lily replied, her voice coming out huskier than normal. She watched as James's eyes darkened in understanding as she tightened her grip on his hand. She didn't know what had come over her. Over the course of her entire life, Lily had never been so brazen to ever pursue anybody, but it was different with James. She _wanted_ James like she had never wanted anyone before, and that need for him was consuming her—had been consuming her all night—and she knew if she didn't act on it she would be driven mad. It consoled her, however, to see that James was so obviously consumed with the same need if the way he reacted to her words was any indication of his feelings.

"Within moments, James was leading her by the hand out the door as though the building was on fire behind them. Lily giggled, the alcohol in her system and the anticipation that had been building all night bubbling out of her in giddy ridiculousness. The limo was already waiting for them out front, leaving no time for the cold air to make Lily second guess her actions as she slid onto the plush leather seats beside James.

He pulled the door closed behind him and tapped on the divider separating them from the driver. "Home please, Stan."

As the car pulled away from the venue, James finally turned to face Lily, his gaze intense.

"Hi." Lily breathed, breaking the silence.  
James smiled broadly, his lips quirking up into a charming grin that lit up his eyes behind his glasses. "Hullo Evans."  
"I had fun tonight."  
"I had more fun tonight that I've had at a family event in years." James replied. He reached forward and brushed a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of Lily's updo out of her face, his fingers leaving a burning trail across her cheek. Lily felt herself flush, her face warming from something much different than embarrassment.

"I have to be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to fit in tonight. I was nervous about coming with you." Lily began. James opened his mouth to argue with her, but she held up her hand and he stopped to listen to what she still had to say. "I'm glad I did come though, because it made me realize that I'm more comfortable with you than I've ever been with anyone before. Being with you just feels…_right_."

James groaned. "You can't say things like that and expect me to not want to kiss you senseless, Evans."

"Then kiss me, Potter." Lily replied teasingly, the corner of her lips tipping up into a grin that revealed the dimple on her right cheek.

James didn't need to be told twice. He leaned in, closing the distance between them in seconds, and brushed her lips with his own. Lily felt the flames that had been flickering combust, engulfing her in their heat. They had kissed before—several times, in fact—but this was different. This kiss was all-consuming and brilliant, and she never wanted it to end.

Lily shifted her weight forward, moving her hands to clutch at the lapels of his jacket and pull him closer to her. James reciprocated, his hands moving around her waist and sliding up her back, leaving a trail of goosebumps on the skin that was exposed by her backless dress.

Finally, Lily pulled away, resting her forehead on James's shoulder as she sucked in a few shaky breaths.

"I…That was…" she trailed off, unable to articulate exactly what it was that she was feeling.

"That was…wow." James finished lamely, laughing unsteadily. He was just as unsettled as she was by the intensity of their chemistry.

Lily looked up at James, who was smiling down at her. His glasses sat crooked on his nose and his normally messy hair was significantly more wild from her clutching at it. A laugh bubbled up out of her throat at the ridiculousness of the situation. They were both acting like teenagers—frantic and passionate and out of control—but she was happier than she had been in ages.

Before they could say anything else, the limo pulled to a stop in front of James's Kensington flat and the glass divider separating them from the driver rolled down. "Here you are, Mr. Potter."

"Thanks Stan." James replied, slipping Stan a note before taking Lily's hand and helping her out of the car and up the steps to his flat.

The second the door shut behind them, the overwhelming need to be kissing James overtook Lily again. She turned to him, only to see that whatever force that was controlling her was clearly affecting him as well because they moved towards each other as though they were in sync. Their bodies crashed together, James's hands moving to cup Lily's face as her hands moved to his hair, sliding through the silky black strands as their lips met. She moved closer, pressing her chest against his so that no part of them went without touching the other. Lily broke away to suck in a breath and James took the opportunity to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, causing Lily to tip her head back and close her eyes at the sensation.

"James." Lily breathed. "Take me to bed, please."

James pulled away from where he was brushing his lips across her collarbone and grinned at her.

"As you wish." He replied, before proceeding to do exactly what he said he would.

* * *

A soft light on her face and the smell of the most wonderful coffee woke Lily the next morning. She cracked one eye open, taking in the deep burgundy down comforter she was wrapped in and couldn't help the giddy smile that crossed her face when she recalled how she had spent the night.

She sat up, pulling the comforter closer around her as she stretched before kicking her legs over the side of the bed, where she saw James's white dress shirt from the night before. She shrugged it on and buttoned it as she made her way to the kitchen, which she vaguely remembered seeing in passing as she and James fumbled their way to his bedroom.

The sight of James Potter cooking breakfast and preparing coffee shirtless is something she hadn't braced herself for, however, and she came to an abrupt halt in the doorway. James had a perfect physique—tall and lean, but with definite muscle definition from all of the sports he played with Sirius while they were brainstorming or just needed to burn off energy—and it was on full display in the bright light of the kitchen, causing the breath to catch in Lily's throat despite the fact that she had just explored the very same body in detail only hours earlier.

James looked up and saw her in the doorway and grinned. "Morning beautiful."

Lily felt the blush creep up her cheeks and busied herself by brushing her hair out of her face. "Goodmorning."

"Coffee?"

Lily nodded and James turned and poured her a cup before walking it across the kitchen. He leaned down and brushed a quick kiss across her lips as he handed her the cup. Lily sipped the coffee before joining James at the counter, where she sat and watched him scramble eggs and flip bacon in appreciation. The fact that he could cook only added to things about him that both surprised Lily and made her more intrigued by him. It seemed as though there wasn't a single thing he wasn't good at.

James slid a plate of food in front of her before making his own and taking the stool at the bar beside her. They ate in comfortable silence and Lily relished the ease in which they kept each other's company.

The peaceful quiet was broken by an odd chiming from the next room over, and Lily was surprised to recognize the sound as her phone. It was rare for her to receive any kind of notification so early in the day—Sirius and Mary were the only ones, other than James, who really contacted her and neither of them were early risers. Lily planned to ignore it, but the chiming stopped and then persisted, again and again.

"Should you check that?" James asked, eyebrow raised.

Lily sighed. "I suppose. I have no idea who it could possibly be though."

"Ah, so its not a boyfriend wondering why you didn't come home last night?" He teased.

Lily pushed his shoulder playfully, rolling her eyes as she hopped off the bar stool. "Oh stop."

James's laugh trailed after her as she walked into the foyer where her purse sat on the entry table. She dug her phone out and was met with fifteen notifications, all from Petunia. She opened the text first and was greeted with an image of her—a blurry profile shot, but distinctive enough for her to immediately recognize herself—on one of London's top tabloids. She was arm in arm with James, and the headline read "Who is the mystery woman on the arm of one of England's most eligible bachelors?"

Lily groaned. Of course, a part of her had expected this. But she hadn't planned on having to deal with the fallout from Petunia so soon. She keyed in her voicemail code and brought the phone to her ear. Without warning, her sister's high pitched voice came through the speakers.

"Lily Evans, I don't know what you think you are doing but you making a spectacle of this family needs to end here, right this instant. And just what do you think you are doing on the arm of that Potter boy? Have you seen his reputation in the papers? You're bringing shame on Vernon and I with this nonsense. I am astounded, though I shouldn't be, by your actions. If you think that seeing this awful boy just because he's well-off will make up for what happened to mum and dad, you are well off from reality Lily. Don't you know you've caused this family enough grief? Can't you think about someone other than yourself for once?"

As Petunia went on, Lily felt the glow that she woke up with begin to fade. She knew her sister didn't agree with her on most things, but Petunia was being downright hurtful with her words. As much as Lily wanted to hang up and delete the messages, to ignore her sister and go back to James in the kitchen and feel happy again, she kept listening.

Her sister was muffled now, like she was holding the phone away from her mouth as she spoke, but Lily could still hear the words. "I know Vernon, darling, she'll have a rude awakening when Potter realizes that Lily is much beneath his station and runs off with that model or whatever he used to be seen with, but she can't keep disgracing us like this."

Lily's heart froze. It was one thing for her to feel like James could do better than her, but to hear it from her own family?

Petunia's voice became clearer again as she said, "If you could just stop doing things to embarrass me, Lily, that would be wonderful. Think about how your actions effect other people before you just feel like doing something."

At those words, the dial tone sounded in Lily's ear and she blinked back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in disbelief. Leave it to Petunia to crush every small inch of happiness that Lily felt, the instant she felt it. Petunia had always had a knack for that, even when they were little girls.

"Alright Evans?" James's voice startled her out of her trance and she hastily wiped her eyes before turning to him, and the smile she gave him was slightly watery.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine." Lily replied, trying to infuse her voice with a confidence she wasn't really feeling. "That was just my sister. I've told you we don't get on all that well. But everything is fine. Just fine."

James's brow furrowed as he studied her. She could tell he knew something was wrong, but he didn't know if he should push her about it. Lily forced a brighter smile and stepped forward to take his arm, discarding her phone back into her bag as she did. "Let's go finish breakfast, then you can give me the official tour that I missed last night."

James conceded, allowing her to pull him back into the kitchen, though he still looked concerned. Lily tried her best to push the thoughts about her sister's message to the back of her mind. She didn't want it to ruin the rest of her day with James, and if she thought about it too hard she knew the words would sink in and create a bitter, dark pit of doubt that she didn't want to taint any moment she spent with the man she was pretty sure she was falling—if not already—in love with.


	8. The Gifts

**A/N: It's been so long and I am so sorry for the wait! But here is a new chapter, and I believe I'm correct when I say that it's the longest one yet. I hope this new addition is enough to keep you lovely readers believing in me and coming back for more!**

Time passed both incredibly quickly and painfully slow. Lily was stressed to the ends of her nerves, but she felt stuck in an awful time warp that rendered her utterly useless. Not only was she still without a job, but the day for this insane scheme was approaching faster than she was comfortable with. Now, on top of everything else, she was stuck planning a fake wedding and bracing herself for seeing James Potter once again. Lily didn't know if she could handle it without suffering a mental breakdown. Despite the front that she continued to put on for both Mary and Remus-partly because she was entirely responsible for the entirety of the fake wedding and partly because she didn't want either of them to know just how much the idea of seeing James again was tearing her apart-Lily was beginning to panic.

Mary and Remus, on the other hand, were entirely in their element with the brunt of the wedding planning. If this had been a real wedding, Lily would have been blessing their very beings for taking charge and handling everything from the venue to the menu.

Remus had asked around and found a beautiful garden that his friend Benjy from uni tended to and that they could use for free. It was out in the country and was teeming with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants. When Remus showed Lily some of the pictures on his phone, she was blown away by the overall effect of the place. It looked like a wonderland.

Meanwhile, Mary had set up what resembled a military camp in the sitting room of their flat and had placed herself in charge of making phone calls, planning the menus, arranging cake tastings, and scheduling appointments for Lily to try on dresses. Where Lily was feeling overwhelmed and frazzled by the details that went into planning all of these things, Mary was thriving. If Lily didn't know better, she would have thought Mary had been a professional event planner for decades.

Two weeks after the madness of the planning began, Lily came home from yet another failed interview to find the front hallway of her flat teeming with packages. She picked her way through them, careful not to knock into one and cause them all to collapse on top of her. After dropping her messenger bag by the door to her room, she went to find Mary, who was once again sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table, papers spread out around her and her phone tucked under her ear as she scribbled notes into a planner.

"Hey love." Mary mouthed, waving Lily over when she caught sight of her. Lily moved to sit on the love seat by Mary, who had turned her attention back to the phone.

"No, she's ginger. That won't work for her at all. I don't want to waste time trying on things that won't be flattering." Mary let out a long sigh. "Fine, if you can't understand my vision there are plenty of other shops around that will. Have a lovely day."

Lily let out a laugh as Mary hung up the phone. "Taking this incredibly seriously, aren't you?"

Mary turned to look at Lily and rested her elbow on the cushion, her chin in her hand and a grin on her face. "I didn't think planning a wedding would be so fun, but it's honestly been loads."

"You're obviously brill at it, but what vision did you have that wasn't being seen?" Lily asked as she tucked her feet under her and settled herself more comfortably.

"For your dress, of course. I know it's just a fake wedding, but you can't wear an ugly dress. It'll ruin the entire thing."

Lily winced. She had been dreading this topic for days, ever since Mary had first told her that she was making appointments for Lily to try on dresses. Despite having gotten herself into this mess, and despite being too stubborn to call the entire thing off, the thought of going dress shopping bothered her. There was something so special about spending the day looking for the perfect dress. Of being surrounded by her friends when she found _the one_ and just _knowing_. She didn't want to waste that moment on something fake.

"Mare, I don't think I want to try on dresses. Can't we just, y'know, find something from a used shop? Or maybe I can see if I can find my mum's in storage." Lily said, her gaze focused on her hands as she picked at her polish.

"You don't want a new dress?" Mary questioned. Lily looked up and met her confused gaze.

"I just...you're already doing so much, but the dress ...I don't know. I just, if I ever actually get married I don't want that moment to be something I've already done."

Mary nodded in understanding. "Of course Lil! Don't be silly, I should've thought about that before."

"So you don't have too many appointments to cancel then?"

"Nah, only one place understood what I was looking for, and it'll be a breeze to cancel with them." Mary smiled and patted Lily's knee. "And don't worry about a dress. My mum can find an older one and work her magic to make it beautiful for you without you having to worry about a thing."

"Thanks for being such a good mate Mary." Lily replied, giving her a shaky smile. "I'd honestly probably have gone mad if it weren't for you."

"You're already a little bit mad Lil, but aren't we all?" Mary laughed and pushed herself up onto her knees. "Oh! Did you see all the packages in the hallway? Registry presents!"

Lily brightened, thankful for the change in subject. "It's like a maze in the entryway. I didn't think there would be so many."

Mary clapped her hands together gleefully. "Let's open them!"

"Let me call Remus and see if he can come by. He'll want to see the outcome of all this trouble." Lily said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and keying in Remus's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hullo?"

"Remus, you'll never believe how many packages are sitting in the hallway of my flat right now." Lily opened, biting back a laugh as Mary rocked back and forth on her heels in anticipation of opening them.

"Good outcome then, huh?" Remus chuckled.

"About two dozen so far." Lily laughed. "And a few are quite large."

"I just finished up with a meeting downtown. I can pick up some takeout and by there in twenty." he replied.

"Sounds great. I'll try to keep Mary from tearing into them until you get here."

Mary pouted dramatically and Lily rolled her eyes as she tried not to laugh. Remus disconnected and Lily slid her phone back into her pocket. "Let's make some tea while we wait."

Twenty minutes later on the dot, Remus knocked on their apartment door. Lily opened the door to him standing there with three bags full of food that smelled incredible in his arms.

"Is that curry I smell?" Lily grinned, stepping back to let him into the foyer.

"Yeah, I came across this little hole in the wall on the way here and decided to stop in. Based on the smell alone I think it was a great find." Remus replied, holding one of the bags out to Lily as he looked around. He let out a low whistle as he took in the towering stack of boxes. "I thought you were exaggerating."

Lily shook her head as she moved through the boxes and made her way to the kitchen, Remus following after her. Mary was already there, perched on the edge of the bar stool and sipping her tea. She looked calm, but Lily knew that she was humming with excitement at the thought of opening all of the gifts. It didn't matter that they weren't keeping them, Mary was like a child when it came to the concept of presents, the most enjoyable part was ripping into them and discovering what it was.

She set the bag of food on the counter next to the ones Remus had already deposited there and sucked in a breath of the logo on the bag. Remus had gone to Trishna. Lily had only had their food one other time-and yes, it was the best Indian food in London-and seeing their emblem on the takeout while smelling the heavenly scent of curry and naan brought back the memory of that time. It was one of her first memories with James, on her birthday, and the rush of memory hitting her made her chest ache.

Lily shook her head, forcing herself to continue to pull the boxes of food out of the bag and not give in to the ache in her chest. Fortunately, Remus and Mary were talking and hadn't noticed her freeze, and she had to remind herself that she could let the emotions out later, when she was alone, but for now she had to keep up the strong front she had been acting out since the beginning.

"Thanks for getting all of this Remus." Lily said, motioning to the surplus of food that was unpacked on the countertop. There was curry, naan, chicken tikka masala, nandu varuval, and basmati rice spread out like a feast, making Lily's mouth water with the incredible scent of spices and flavor.

Remus leaned against the counter and smiled a tired smile. "No problem Lil. I'm starving, can we eat before we get to the packages?"

Mary groaned and both Lily and Remus chuckled. "C'mon Mary, you know this smells delicious and it's better when its hot."

"Alright, but only because my name isn't on any of those packages so I don't have a choice." Mary sighed, but she had a smile on her face as she hopped down from her stool and made herself a plate.

It took Lily's full effort and focus to eat the food and behave as normally as possible in front of Remus and Mary. Every bite brought back a memory from her birthday-it felt like she was there, almost, in that conference room with James when she was just getting to know him, when they spent the night working and eating, drinking and laughing until her stomach hurt. That was the first time they really got to know each other, and it was the beginning of everything for Lily.

After forcing down an acceptable amount of food, Lily pushed her plate away and leaned back in her seat. Remus and Mary had eaten twice the amount that she had but they hadn't seemed to notice-they had been too busy discussing details of the fake wedding-and for that she was thankful.

"Ready to open these packages?" she asked, pulling them out of their discussion about what type of flowers would be best to have in the bouquets.

Mary bolted out of her seat. "Finally!"

Remus pushed himself out of his chair slowly, wincing as he did so. Lily noticed that he looked slightly more pale than usual, and made a note to make sure he had enough food at home. Remus had always been prone to being sick, and it only got worse when he had to be tight with his wallet, as he tended to put off the basic needs to make sure other bills were paid first.

Lily followed Remus into the hallway. Mary was already there, using her tiny body to push boxes into the sitting room around the sofa. Remus shook his head, laughing at her antics as he grabbed one of the heavier packages and followed her. Lily picked up the remaining three boxes and joined her mates on the sofa. Mary had had the forethought to grab a box cutter from the kitchen and was holding it poised over the tape on the largest box, an excited grin on her face.

"Ready?" Mary asked, looking between Lily and Remus. They nodded, biting back their grins as they looked at each other. Mary was so much more excited than either of them despite it being Lily's brain child and Remus's agreement to participate that brought all of these packages to them in the first place.

Mary tore into the packaging, pulling out the styrofoam peanuts and tossing them behind her. Lily tried not to think about the mess that they were going to have to clean up later, and was sufficiently distracted by Mary's loud gasp as she reached the bottom of the box.

"It's gorgeous!" Mary said, her voice dripping with awe.

"What is it?" Remus questioned. He sat forward on the couch, craning his neck to see. "Is it the ice cream maker?"

"It's a Kitchen Aid! In burgundy with gold accents!" Mary breathed, pulling the heavy machine out of the box. "And there are extra attachments! The pasta maker and meat grinder!"

Lily eyed the mixer as Mary set it on the table. It really was gorgeous, for a kitchen gadget, and those things cost a small fortune. The attachments alone were more than her meal budget for a month. The colors were two of her favorites, as well.

"Do you really have to give this back, Lily?" Mary whined, running her hand over the mixer affectionately.

"Mary, that's the whole point of this stupid scheme." Lily replied. She bit her lip at how bitter her own voice sounded. The entire thing was her idea, her fault, and she knew she had no right to snap at Mary.

"Sorry." she mumbled, looking at Mary apologetically. "But we really do have to take these back."

Mary nodded in understanding and smiled at Lily, letting her know that she was forgiven for her attitude.

"If we get the ice cream maker I might just have to vote for an override on the return rule." Remus said, eyeing the second largest box in the stack. His comment broke through the tension and made Mary and Lily laugh.

They spent the rest of the evening opening the gifts and Lily was surprised by just how many things they received. Remus didn't get his ice cream maker, but the lot that they ended up with consisted of the mixer, a fancy espresso machine, a set of china plates, and several other fancy kitchen gadgets that Lily wasn't quite sure what they were supposed to be used for.

By the end of the night, Remus was feeling quite a bit less stressed about making his rent and Lily was marginally less worried about his health. After stacking all of the gifts that needed to be returned in a pile next to the doorway of the sitting room, Lily packed up the leftovers and sent them home with Remus. He would never admit to it, but she knew that those leftovers would feed him for the week until they were gone.

Shortly after Remus left, Mary yawned loudly and bid goodnight to Lily, blowing a kiss and calling "Ta, darling!" as she closed her bedroom door. Lily walked through the apartment in silence, shutting off the lights as she went and leaving the mess that Mary had made with the packing materials for the following morning.

When she finally got to her room, she shut the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes briefly to let the evening sink in. She felt the flurry of emotions deep in her chest-stress, heartache, longing, frustration, and regret-and knew that if she kept pushing it off it would only get worse. So Lily did what she told herself she wouldn't do. She opened her eyes and stepped to her closet, where she pushed aside everything in her wardrobe and found what she was looking for.

Lily stripped off her clothes, pulling her sweater over her head and dropping it on the ground and then stepping out of her jeans, leaving them in a pile by her top. She reached in her closet and pulled the shirt that had previously been hidden behind every other item of clothing she owned off of the hanger and shrugged it on, doing up the buttons in the front with shaky hands. When the buttons were done up, she moved back across her room, flicking the light off before crawling into her bed and pulling her large down comforter over herself.

It was there, in the dark and under the cover of her blankets, that she left herself succumb to the emotions that she had kept under lock and key for months. There, in the safe quiet of her room, she left herself pull the shirt up around her face as she breathed in the scent of the man she had so foolishly pushed away. Under the cloak of darkness, the smell of cinnamon and fresh cut grass and something so _purely_ James filling her senses, Lily let herself feel all of the emotions she had denied for so long. She felt the fear that had overcome her when she realized how happy he made her, the feeling of not being good enough to fit into his lifestyle, the anger at her sister for making sure Lily never felt like she could be comfortable enough to rely on someone. It came in waves, crashing over her and bringing tears to her eyes and building up the ache in her chest. She felt the burning sadness when she pushed James away, and the longing she felt to just call him up and apologize until she was out of breath. She was overwhelmed by the feeling to fix things, to make them better, but she was also terrified of seeing him again. She knew her pride was in the way. She was foolish and stupid and she knew that nothing would be resolved by this false wedding, but she also didn't know how to fix it.

Feeling more lost than ever, Lily rode the wave of her emotions, tears streaming down her cheeks, into one of the deepest sleeps she had in months.

**A/N: Ah, what do you think?! I'd love to hear back from you. Feedback is what keeps me wanting to write so if there's enough then you might just get another new chapter sooner rather than later. 3**


	9. The Birthday

**A/N: Another chapter so soon?! Crazy, I know, but I've been on a roll! Hope you guys enjoy!**

_Two years earlier_

It was Lily's luck—or lack thereof—that found her working late on her birthday. Sirius had an important meeting the following day, but due to a forced dinner party with his awful family for his cousin's engagement, Lily was left to handle the preparations. Thus, at nine o'clock at night on her twenty-second birthday, she found herself sitting in a conference room in an otherwise deserted building surrounded by papers that needed to be sorted into informational packets.

"Happy bloody birthday to me." Lily muttered. She was barefoot, seated cross-legged on the floor, foregoing the conference table entirely. Stacks of papers were spread around her so she could work efficiently enough that she _might_ get out of the office by midnight at least.

She leaned forward, reaching for the stapler that had somehow found its way under the table, when a sudden knock sounded on the door of the conference room. Lily, head still under the table, jerked upright with a start, slamming the back of her head into the underside of the table.

"Shit!" She yelled, dropping the packet she was holding and grabbing her head. She could feel a bump rising on her scalp from where she had hit it and tears came to her eyes when she brushed her fingers against it.

"Damn! I am so sorry."

Despite the pain in her head, Lily became suddenly aware of a charge in the room. A pair of black trainers came into her view and she forced herself to look up into the face of James Potter. He was standing in front of her, one hand threaded into his already disheveled hair and a look of concern on his face. He offered a hand and she took it, ignoring the tingle that shot up her arm as he helped her up.

"Are you alright?" James asked, looking like he wasn't quite sure what to do.

Lily nodded, then winced at the movement. "I'll be fine, just a bump."

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"I didn't expect anybody to be in the office." Lily replied, taking in James's appearance. He was wearing worn jeans and a faded maroon jumper, his glasses slightly crooked on his nose. His hair—as always—was sticking up messily, and—as always—Lily found it quite endearing. It was odd, as well, to see him dressed in something more casual than business attire. Lily was so used to him being in trousers with an untucked shirt and sloppily tied tie that she was a little thrown by his appearance.

"Sirius isn't here, he had a family thing." She added, meeting his eyes once again.

"Right. I forgot about that." James said. "Still hard to believe Cissy is getting married."

Lily nodded. She didn't know much about Sirius's family—he hated talking about them and avoided it at all costs if he could—but she'd gathered enough to know that Cissy was marrying some bloke that her parents had picked out for her because it would be a 'profitable' marriage.

"Is there something you needed, then?" Lily asked.

James shrugged. "Nah, I was just coming to see if Sirius wanted to go to the pub for a drink."

"Right. Well, I'd better get back to it then, if there's nothing you need." She gestured to the stacks of papers that still needed to be assembled.

"Sirius had you working this late? What a prat."

"The packets need to be done for his meeting tomorrow and I'm the only one who handles his paperwork." Lily explained.

"Still, I'm sure you have better things to do than sorting infographics."

She shrugged and brushed her hair back, wincing as her fingers brushed the knot on the back of her head, reminding her of her slight injury. James winced as well, looking guilty and apologetic. Lily waved him off and smiled a small, self-deprecating smile.

"Well, it is my birthday today. I didn't have any plans though, I prefer quiet evenings more often than celebrations."

"It's your bloody birthday?" James exclaimed, running a hand through his hair again. He lowered his voice. "It's your birthday and you're here at work, stapling boring papers alone, and then I come in and make you knock your head?"

"I can't deny that's what happened."

"Sounds like a shit birthday then." James replied.

Lily laughed. "Well, when you put it like that it does sound rather unpleasant."

James reached out and grabbed her hand. "Let me make it up to you, come to the pub and have a drink with me."

Lily looked at James, his hazel eyes bright with newfound excitement, then dropped her gaze to his hand holding hers. She had felt a surge of electric tension the second he touched her and it was quickly spreading up her arm. For only knowing James through a few brief encounters when he dropped in to visit Sirius, Lily was entirely too aware of this man's presence.

She averted her gaze and pulled her hand from his. "I really can't. These packets have to be done by morning."

James hesitated for a split second then nodded. "Alright."

Lily sighed, turning to take her place on the floor once again, expecting James to leave and find some other—probably more interesting—girl to have a drink at the pub. She was surprised, however, when James toed off his trainers and took a seat next to her on the floor.

"What're you doing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Helping you, of course." James replied easily. "Show me how it's done then, we should be able to get this settled in half the time."

"You really don't have to stay."

"Bollocks. It's your birthday, the least I can do is keep you company if my prat of a mate has you working so late."

Lily opened her mouth to argue but before she could speak James leaned over and placed his hand over her mouth, his eyes glinting humorously.

"You can't get rid of me now, Evans, so just show me how to organize these so I don't screw them up."

Lily bit her lip, wanting to argue but knowing that it would be useless. She knew that James, like Sirius, made up his mind and stuck to it. She shook her head, her lips tipping up into a smile.

"Fine then, if you insist."

"I really do." James grinned.

Lily showed him how the packets were to be organized, instructing him on the order and the manner in which they needed to be assembled and presented. James, being a businessman himself, knew the general idea behind the packets and picked up the task quickly. They worked silently, the clacking of the stapler and shuffle of papers the only sound between them. Lily found herself wanting to speak, but unsure of what to say. James had a way of making her nervous, which was an entirely new—and rather unsettling—feeling for her.

Some time later, the stacks of loose papers were dwindling and the completed packets nearly covered the conference table. They had been working steadily for almost an hour, the silence between them broken only by the sounds of the packet assembly, so Lily was startled when James set the stapler down on the floor, cleared his throat, and clapped his hands together.

"I'm starving." he declared, placing his hands on his thighs and shifting himself forward. "Fancy a bite to eat?"

Lily blew out a breath and looked around at the piles of papers on the ground. Before she could make up an excuse, however, her stomach let out a loud growl that gave her away. James laughed, and Lily shook her head and chuckled.

"I guess that means yes." she replied. She felt her cheeks heat with a slight blush at the thought of him hearing her stomach growl so loudly-it wasn't very attractive, after all-but she tried to ignore it.

"Do you like Indian food?"

"Love it."

"Brill. I know the best bloody place in London, and they deliver." James grinned and pushed himself to his feet. "I'll go call in an order."

Lily nodded, smiling up at James. He winked at her and grinned cheekily before turning to walk out of the conference room to place the order. She watched him go, taking in the lines of his body as he strutted out the door. On any other man, the strut would have looked pompous and ridiculous, but James was so casually confident that it was just normal.

With a sigh, Lily shook her head. She knew it wasn't smart to let herself be pulled in by James. Even though she hadn't known him long, she knew that his personality was magnetic. He drew people in without thought, because that's just who he was as a person. She wasn't anyone special, and he wasn't making any extra effort for her that he wouldn't make for anyone else, so to let herself get so absorbed in the flurry of emotions that he evoked in her was foolish. Just because the air seemed to vibrate between them, and sparks flooded her body from any point of contact they had didn't mean that any of it was reciprocated. After all, James was leagues above her in every aspect of life, and she didn't want to look like some silly little intern that chased after a billionaire just because he was nice to her a few times.

Lily pushed her hair out of her face again and turned back to her paperwork. The quicker she got it all done, the faster she could leave the office-and James-and go home and crawl in her bed with a hot cup of tea and start a new year of her life in the quiet comfort of her room.

Just as Lily was getting back into the mindless groove of gathering and stapling papers, James reappeared in the doorway with two large bags on his arm and a bottle of expensive looking wine in hand. The takeout smelled heavenly, spices, curry, and warm naan filled Lily's senses and made her realize she was hungrier than she had thought.

"That smells incredible."

James smiled. "I told you, it's the best place in London. And I found Sirius's stash."

"We shouldn't drink that." Lily replied, eyeing the bottle again as he crossed the room and settled back down on the floor beside her. "It looks expensive."

James laughed. "Oh, it is. But that's what he gets, the git. Making you work on your birthday."

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but James shot her a look that made it clear her arguments were pointless. "I'll grab some glasses then."

James began unpacking the food, spreading the takeout containers around the floor and opening them as he went. Lily stood and stretched slowly, releasing the tension in her muscles that had formed from sitting on the ground for such a long stretch of time. The bottom of her shirt rose, baring the skin of her lower stomach just as James looked up at her. His eyes lingered on the exposed skin before rising slowly to meet her eyes and Lily felt herself flush at the look in his eyes.

She tugged her shirt back down hastily and turned to cross the conference room. There was a cabinet on the far side where they stored coffee mugs for morning meetings and wine glasses and champagne flutes for special occasions. Lily managed to suck in a few deep breaths as she grabbed the glasses and tried to remind herself not to read anything into a look, no matter how much heat James's gaze had held.

James had all of the food laid out in a delectable looking spread when she returned to her spot on the floor. She held out the glasses and James popped the cork on the bottle and poured two healthy glasses of wine before recorking the bottle and taking one of the glasses. Their fingers brushed and sent yet another spark of _something_ up Lily's arm, and when she met his eyes she could see that he had felt something as well.

"To you, on your birthday. Here's to an incredible year." James said, holding his glass in the air as he toasted to her. Lily smiled brightly and clinked her glass against his softly before she raised the glass to her lips and took a hearty sip of the wine. James followed suit before setting his glass down beside him and turning towards the food.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just ordered a little taste of everything."

"A little taste of everything sounds perfect. It all looks so incredible, I don't know where to start."

"The chicken tikka masala is my favorite. And their naan is to die for." James replied, reaching for a piece himself. He handed her one and she bit into the still-warm dough, a little sound of pleasure escaping her throat when the flavors hit her.

James laughed as he watched her eat. "I told you."

The two of them ate and worked, and talked about their lives. As they ate, they danced around each other, brushing fingers over the naan and bumping elbows reaching for another kebob. With each touch, Lily felt a heat begin to grow between them. James told her about how he and Sirius had met in school, how Sirius had moved in with him at sixteen and been a part of his family ever since, and how they were more brothers than best mates. Lily told James how she loved working for Sirius, despite his attitude and his reputation for being a bit of a prick, they got on great and he let her have free reign most of the time.

As they got to know each other, exchanging little details of their lives and their childhoods, the bottle of wine dwindled and the food ran out. Lily could feel the flush in her cheeks and the fuzzy feeling in her head that the wine was causing and she knew it was time for her to leave. The last of the packets had been assembled ages ago, but she and James had gotten so caught up in their conversation that they had pushed them to the side and made themselves comfortable.

Finally, Lily expelled a breath and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I should probably go home."

James nodded reluctantly. "I should probably call it a night too. Sirius will kick my arse if I'm not in top shape for our community football match tomorrow."

Lily laughed. "Like Sirius'll be in any better shape. He's probably sloshed right now, knowing how he is around his family. And he's got the meeting in the morning before your match."

James chuckled as he rose to his feet and held a hand out to help Lily to hers. The second their hands touched she felt her face flooded with heat-a direct result, she was sure, of the feeling of his strong, warm hand fully embracing hers. Between the rush that came from touching James and the sensation of the wine that she had consumed fully hitting her system as she stood, Lily stumbled slightly, causing her chest to brush against James'. He steadied her with a hand around her waist and when she looked up and into his hazel eyes her breath caught in her chest.

Shaking her head and laughing slightly, albeit shakily, Lily stepped back and busied herself by straightening her shirt. James cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair, and Lily wasn't sure if he merely felt awkward about the exchange or if he was similarly affected as she was.

"Let me walk you out." he finally said, just as Lily was about to make her escape so she could feel mortified in private. Instead, she nodded and smiled up at him shyly.

They walked to the building's entryway in a comfortable silence, though Lily kept berating herself on drinking too much and acting silly in front of James. She hadn't thought anything of having the third glass of wine, but perhaps she should have considering it had pushed her over the line of being tipsy. Lily was grateful when they stepped out onto the street and the crisp winter air bit at her cheeks and made her slightly more clear-headed.

James raised his arm to hail her a cab before turning back to look at her. Lily shifted her weight, tilting her head to look up at him. He really was handsome, with his messy black hair, crooked grin, and the black frames of his glasses sitting slightly lopsided on his nose.

She cleared her throat. "Thanks again, for helping me. And for the birthday meal."

James shifted his weight between his feet and looked at her, his eyes serious. "Lily…"

She furrowed her brow. "Yes?"

"Ah...damn it all…" James trailed off. He raised his hand and cupped her face before leaning forward and kissing her. Lily let out a surprised gasp as his lips crashed into hers, though it only took her a second before she was responding. She stepped closer to him, raising her arms to wrap around his neck as he slid his free arm around her waist. His mouth was warm and pleasant, and he tasted like the wine they had shared.

James was the first to pull back, but he kept his arm around her waist, holding her close to him.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not." James laughed. "I've wanted to do that since the day I met you."

"I wouldn't want you to apologize anyway." Lily replied, looking up at him with serious eyes. She was surprised she could formulate a sentence, the way her thoughts were flitting around her head.

Before James could say anything else, the cab pulled to the curb and the driver honked the horn impatiently. Lily moved towards the cab, and James caught her hand.

"Happy birthday, Lily Evans."

Lily grinned up at him. "Thank you, James Potter."

James squeezed her hand one last time before releasing it so she could climb into the cab. He closed the door after her, then leaned down to talk to the driver, handing him a note before standing and rapping the top of the car twice.

Lily, tucked into the dark backseat, brought her hands to her lips, which were still slightly swollen from the pressure of James's lips against her own. She couldn't help but think, given the events of the evening, that maybe, just maybe, her luck might be beginning to change.


	10. The Trip

As the weeks dragged on, James tried his best to keep up an air of casual interest in everyday things, but he knew he was failing miserably. Sirius had even gone so far as to consult their parents on how to snap him out of it, to which Euphemia clicked her tongue and said things would be sorted the way they needed to be in due time and Fleamont ducked behind his newspaper where he pretended he didn't know what was going on.

Two days before he and Sirius were due to leave for the countryside where the wedding was to be held, however, James found that he was on the verge of exploding or imploding-whichever was worse. He didn't know how he was going to face Lily. He wasn't entirely sure he was going to be able to look at her without wanting to grab her and kiss her senseless, or pull her away from the bloke she was supposed to marry and start running until they were miles away from anyone else.

When he closed his eyes he could still see her there, clearly imprinted on the backs of his eyelids. Her long auburn hair hanging loose around her shoulders, her captivating green eyes sparkling as she laughed up at him, and her cheeks tinted pink with the tell-tale red-headed blush that he loved so much. He could hear the sound of her voice in his mind, and he replayed the memories of the times they had spent together over and over again...the first time they met, her birthday in the office, meeting her for coffee and walking her to class, his cousin's wedding, her and all her books sprawled across the floor of his flat while she studied for her midterm exams.

The one memory he couldn't bring himself to remember-though it frequented his dreams more often than he would like-was the phone call in which she ended things. The broken sound of her voice echoing over the phone as she insisted she wasn't good enough, that he could do better than her. She hadn't even listened to him when he tried to explain that she was more than anything he had ever dreamed of. It didn't matter that they came from different lifestyles, James would give up everything if it meant he could have Lily, because without her, nothing meant anything.

None of that mattered now, though. It was clear that Lily had moved on. She was engaged to be married by the end of the week, for God's sake. And while James wanted nothing more than to punch the bloke, he knew that if he saw Lily and she was happy, he would stand back and leave them to it, because Lily Evans deserved nothing more than to be happy.

"Mate, you all packed?" Sirius's voice broke into James's thoughts as he entered the room. James looked up from where he was perched on his bed in his flat. His suitcase sat beside him, half packed with hastily chosen clothes. "Having second thoughts?"

James shook his head and stood. "Got distracted, that's all."

"Good. But if you change your mind, you know I'll support you. I liked Evans, but you're my brother." Sirius said, clapping James on the back.

"I'm not changing my mind."

"Right." Sirius replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'll leave you to it then."

* * *

The drive to the country was beautiful, but James didn't notice any of it. He had insisted on driving, needing something to focus on so that he didn't dwell on the fact that in less than twenty-four hours he was going to see the woman that owned his entire heart even though she didn't want it.

"Are you going to be okay mate?" Sirius asked, looking over at James from the passenger seat.

James nodded. "Don't have much choice, do I?"

"No need to be so masochistic, James. We can always turn around and go home."

"If I see that she's happy-really, truly happy-then I can move on." James replied, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Fuck. I could kill Cecelia, the damn cow." Sirius sighed.

James glanced over at him. "Why?"

"Because we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her! If she hadn't bloody thrown herself at you in that elevator, Lily wouldn't have ended things."

James sighed and shook his head. He had never explained to Sirius the entirety of his breakup with Lily. As far as Sirius knew, Lily had ended things because she thought he had cheated on her with Cecelia.

"This would've happened with or without Cece."

"Care to elaborate?"

James ran a hand through his hair and expelled a breath. "Lily knew what Cece did. She knew I wasn't cheating. But it was what made it easy for her to break things off. She had a thing about us being from different lifestyles."

Sirius nodded. "Right. I remember that. She was always putting herself down, even though she's bloody brilliant."

"I think a lot of it has to do with her sister. She blames her for their parent's death, and ever since they were kids she's told Lily that she's not good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. Lily's got it in her head that she deserves to be alone because her sister had made her feel like she ruins everything for anyone she cares about."

"Her sister sounds like a hag."

"Exactly. But Lily loves her. And she's always seen that her love isn't enough to repair that relationship, so she thinks her sister's words hold merit. So when Lily saw Cece throwing herself at me, she used it as an easy out. It scared her, I think, how much she cared about us, so she jumped ship before I could leave her." James sighed again. "Not that I would have left her. I loved her-still love her-but she couldn't shake what her sister had engrained in her long enough to see that."

"Oi mate, you're awfully philosophical about his eh?" Sirius joked, trying to lighten the mood in the car.

"I've had a bit to think about it, yeah."

James could feel Sirius studying him and glanced over before focusing on the road again. "What?"

"What're you going to do about this bloke that she's marrying?"

"Nothing. What can I do?"

"You can tell Lily how you feel. I'll distract the bloke and you can pull her away and pour your heart out like the poor sop you are."

"I'm not ruining this for her mate." James said. "She wouldn't be getting married if she didn't love the guy."

Sirius sighed. "Right. Well, it's bound to be an interesting weekend, to say the least."

James nodded and lapsed back into silence. He couldn't help but think of what Sirius had said. Would it make a difference, if he told Lily that he was still in love with her? Was there any part of her that still thought about him? Still cared, or wondered what could have happened if they had just worked things out instead of her running scared?

Before long, the wide-open space of the countryside began to fall away and become occupied with signs and small buildings. Sirius had been in charge of finding them a place to stay, and he had booked them two rooms at a small inn next to the only bar in the small town. The wedding was supposed to happen at a small exotic garden on the outskirts of the town, and it was such a small event that there was no rehearsal or anything like that.

"Well, mate," Sirus said, clapping his hands together as they drove into town and James slowed to look for the inn. "Our night just got a bit more interesting."

"What'd you do, Sirius?"

"Oh nothing," Sirius grinned. "We're just going to meet Evans and her new beau at the bar for a drink and a little catch up."

"Shite."

Sirius laughed. "Don't worry mate! See, this will be much more comfortable and casual. You'll have a drink or two in your system to calm your nerves and you'll get the whole awkward first-sight-after-a-breakup and meeting the new bloke out of the way before we have to go to the wedding in the morning."

James closed his eyes briefly and clenched the steering wheel tightly. He hadn't thought about it, but Sirius was probably right for doing what he had done. It'd be a lot less awkward to see Lily again in a neutral setting rather than as she walked down the aisle.

Sirius, seeing that James saw the logic behind meeting over drinks in a casual setting, smirked. What James didn't know was that Sirius had a feeling it was important for Lily to see him before she went through with the wedding, and Sirius wasn't about to tell him anything of the ulterior motives.

"You're welcome, mate. Oi! The inn is right there, don't pass it!"


	11. The Pub

**A/N: We're getting close to the end here! I'm just so thankful for all of you who've stuck with this story to this point, even through the unplanned hiatus and long wait for updates! I hope I've made it worth it for you. ****Anyway, I'll let you get to it. xox**

The pub was much different than the rest of the quaint little countryside town that Remus had found their venue in. Where the town consisted of small cottages painted in bright pastels and surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs, the pub was dim and grungy, as though all of the dirt from the entire village was swept into this one building to be contained there as to not taint the image.

Lily found herself standing outside of the little pub, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her peacoat and a scarf wrapped so thoroughly around her that half of her face was hidden behind the burgundy knitting. Remus was running late, and it was freezing, but she couldn't bring herself to walk into the bar and face James all by herself.

There were several things going through her head as she waited, her thoughts colliding with one another until it felt like her mind was emitting something closer to white noise than actual thoughts. She didn't know what had made her agree to meeting with James and Sirius in the pub-other than the incessant prodding from both Remus and Mary that it would be easier to see him in a neutral setting for the first time-and she definitely didn't know what she was going to say to him.

So many versions of this meeting had played out in her head over the past year and a half, so many long monologues of her apologizing and swallowing her pride and asking him to forgive her because he was all she really wanted and she was so crazily in love with him. None of those imagined encounters had involved a pretend fiancee, a fake wedding, a con, and her over-inflated pride pushing any rational thought from her mind.

"Lily," Remus's voice behind her made her jump, as she was pulled out of her thoughts and back to reality. "What're you doing out here? Why didn't you go in?"

Lily shrugged. "Needed you there for moral support, I s'pose."

"We don't have to do this, you know." Remus said, looking at Lily with an expression that told her he knew how she was feeling.

Lily scoffed. "What am I supposed to do Remus? Waltz in there, laugh and say 'Sorry to make you drive all the way out here, but this wedding is fake and only got this far because you actually RSVP'd to an invitation that was part of an elaborate con because the two of us were broke and desperate?'"

"I'd throw something in about still being in love with him, but that's just me."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You think this is just hilarious, don't you?"

"This is the stuff of Shakespearian comedies, Lily, and if your feelings weren't so deeply entwined here, you'd see the humor of it."

"I'm not going in there and confessing. We're going to have one drink, say our pleasantries, and then leave. Tomorrow will come soon enough, we'll pretend to get married, and then I'll never see James Potter again."

"And that's what you want?" Remus questioned, raising one eyebrow as he searched her face. Lily was thankful for the scarf that still hid half of her expression.

"That's what best." Lily replied quietly. "For him, and probably for me."

"Oh Lily," Remus sighed, throwing one arm around her shoulder as he led her to the door of the pub. "I wish you could see what everyone else does when they look at you. Petunia left you with the worst impression of yourself."

Before she could reply, Remus pushed open the door to the bar and lead her inside. She kept her eyes downcast as she unraveled her scarf and shrugged out of her coat, handing them to Remus so he could hang them beside his at the door.

Then, as if a magnetic force connected them, Lily's gaze lifted and she found James instantly. He was sitting at a table in the far corner, talking to Sirius animatedly. He was just as handsome as she remembered him-if not more so-and her eyes drank him in as if she were a dying woman crossing a desert in the middle of summer. His black hair was just as messy as it always was, and as she watched his hand lifted to ruffle it even more. His specs sat crooked on his nose, giving him an almost boyish look that she had always found endearing. He was dressed casually in jeans and a jumper-one that she recognized with fondness, as she had slipped it on one evening when she had been studying at his flat and gotten cold.

Just then James glanced over and caught her eye, causing her chest to constrict in fear and anticipation. This was it. There was no turning back now. Lily raised her hand in a slight wave and smiled, hoping that her ever-expressive face hadn't given her away completely. Without thinking, Lily stepped forward without looking away from James. His eyes flickered to look over her shoulder, causing her to regain her senses and remember that she was here with Remus-her fiance, for all intents and purposes-and she needed to take care to remember that.

She glanced back to see a highly amused expression on Remus's face and felt herself flush. She knew she had given too much away with her reaction to James, and she made a mental note to take better care not to let it happen again. When she looked back at James, his face was stoney, and though he was still smiling Lily could tell that he was more closed off than he had been when he first saw her.

They made their way across the pub, weaving in and out of the crowded tables full of people enjoying pints and laughing raciously. Lily made a conscious effort to slow her pace, going so far as to reach her hand behind her and wiggle her fingers until Remus caught her hint and grabbed her hand. The thirty second walk across the sticking pub floor felt like an eternity.

Being the gentlemen that Euphemia raised them to be, James and Sirius rose from the table when Lily and Remus reached them. It was like slow motion when James extended his arm and clasped Lily's free hand in his own as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She sucked in a breath when his lips brushed her skin and she hoped with all her being that he hadn't caught it. Sirius cleared his throat and James pulled back, releasing Lily's hand and turning too shake Remus's. It took serious effort for Lily not to raise her hand to the cheek James's lips had touched, but she managed to hold back as she turned to Sirius.

He was looking at her knowingly, and Lily's smile was more of a grimace when she leaned in to hug him. "Looking good, Evans."

"It's good to see you, Black." Lily replied.

"I have to say, I'm surprised it's under these circumstances." Sirius said, tipping his head in the direction of Remus and James. The two were talking to one another in a friendly manner, and Lily was glad that of all the people to be in this situation with it was Remus by her side. "But if you're happy then it's all aces."

"Er...right." Lily laughed awkwardly. "Strange circumstances indeed."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and Lily knew he had caught on to the fact that she hadn't said anything about being happy or not-Sirius had always been quick on picking up little things like that-but before he could say anything James and Remus were turning towards them and Remus extended his hand in greeting.

Sirius's face changed when he shook his hand, and Lily saw a look of surprise flit across Remus's face in the same moment. Odd, she couldn't help but think, and made a mental note to ask Remus what that was about later, when they were alone.

After pleasantries were exchanged, the four of them sat at the table. Lily slid into the booth after Remus, and James followed after Sirius on the opposite side of the table, leaving Lily directly across from James. She couldn't help but think of all the times she had sat opposite this man, and marvel at how much could change in just a year's time. Funny, too, how much remained the same, and just how quickly old feelings could come rushing back to the surface.

A waitress brought them a round of whiskey sours-Sirius's drink of choice-and they ordered several appetizers for the table. Lily had expected there to be an air of awkward tension, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that this meeting in a strange, dark pub in the English countryside was not the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Sirius and Remus were in a heated debate about politics of some sort, with James interjecting occasionally. Lily was content to sit and listen, sipping her drink and trying not to look too much at the man sitting across from her. The more she tried, the more it felt as though there was some force pulling her eyes to him. He was a magnetic force and she couldn't help that every fiber of her being was attracted. She couldn't help but notice that James wasn't as unaffected as he was acting, either, if the fact that from the corner of her eye she could see him watching her when it seemed she wasn't paying attention told her anything.

When the appetizers were served and the third round of drinks brought out, the topic of conversation took a more serious turn.

"So, how did you two meet again?" Sirius asked, gesturing between Lily and Remus with his nearly empty whiskey glass.

"We've known each other for ages. Went to school together." Remus replied.

"But things only turned romantic this past year? And now you're getting married?" Sirius prodded.

Lily felt her cheeks redden and took a large gulp of her drink. She saw Sirus wince and shoot James a dirty look and could only guess that he had kicked him under the table. Remus glanced at Lily, who tried her best to communicate with her eyes what she was thinking, which was _Help me! _

Remus chuckled. "Well, I guess things just happen that way sometimes. Lily and I were instant mates in school, and we've always gotten along so well. After a while it just seemed right."

Sirius nodded and didn't press further. Lily breathed out a sigh of relief before she caught James's eye. He was watching her, his gaze flickering between her and Remus, and she couldn't help but be aware of the picture they must paint. They weren't even touching, for heaven's sake, and they were supposed to be getting married in only a matter of hours.

"That's right," Lily said, looking away from James and consciously placing her hand on Remus's arm and squeezing in what she hoped was an affectionate manner. "Remus is just the best. So supportive."

Lily had to give Remus credit for not reacting to her words, which sounded lame to her own ears. The only sign that he was feeling off-center at all were his fingers tapping along the side of his empty tumblr.

Sirius, either sensing the tension that had arisen or not wanting to be kicked in the shin again-Lily speculated it was a bit of both-steered the topic of conversation back to safer territory. He and Remus fell into another intense conversation, not even stopping to thank the waitress for the next two rounds of drinks or trying to include Lily or James in their discussion.

Which left Lily sitting at the table, sliding her glass between her hands-she had lost count of how many drinks she had consumed, and was feeling the effects of the alcohol churning through her system-in an effort to distract herself from the man sitting across from her. It wasn't as though she could have some senseless conversation about politics or the weather with him. There was far too much to say, and she didn't want to taint their meeting with meaningless nonsense. However, she couldn't exactly dive into what needed to be said, either.

"Lily."

James saying her name, his voice low and quiet, startled her enough that she looked up from her drink into his face. His brow was furrowed, his hazel eyes dark and serious behind his specs.

"Yes?"

James glanced over at Remus, who was still in heated debate with Sirius, the two of them totally unaware of anything James and Lily were saying.

"Is he good to you?"

Lily blinked. "He's brilliant."

James closed his eyes briefly and nodded his head. Lily wasn't sure if the alcohol in her system was playing tricks on her, or if her mind was just creating an image of what she wanted to see, but she thought for a second that she saw a flash of pain and disappointment cross his features. In that moment, she wanted to tell him the truth, to tell him everything that she had been feeling since the moment she hung up the phone call that had been the death of their relationship. She knew she wouldn't-couldn't, in her mind-but that moment brought her closer to confessing than anything else had.

"Right. Great...that's great."

Lily looked away before the look on her face made her open her mouth and ruin everything. She fiddled with her watch, twisting the band around and around her wrist before her eyes caught and focused on the time.

"Double damn." she bit out, wincing as she turned to Remus. "I've got to go. We should both go."

Remus stopped talking and looked at Lily for a second before his gaze drifted back to Sirius, who was watching him intently. Remus sighed. "What time is it?"

"Half past nine." Lily replied, turning her wrist so Remus could read the time himself. She could see that he really didn't want to go, and if the way he kept glancing back at Sirius-and Sirius's returned gaze-meant anything, Lily could take a guess that it was more than the drink keeping Remus in his seat. "It's fine. You can stay, you're not the one everyone will be focused on tomorrow anyhow."

"Lil," Remus trailed off reluctantly. She knew he was weighing his options in his head-stay and chat with Sirius, whom he was obviously getting on well with, or be a gentleman and walk Lily out and put her in a cab back to her hotel before heading off to Benjy's, where he was staying.

"Rem, it's fine. Really, you stay. I'm glad you're getting on so well with these two." Lily said. Remus grinned at her-the alcohol was beginning to have an affect on him as well-and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks Lil." he whispered sloppily against her ear. Lily bit back a giggle as she pushed herself out of the booth and stumbled slightly. She turned to the table and mock saluted at the three men still seated there.

"G'night boys."

"Night Evans." Sirius replied.

James was quiet as he looked from Sirius and Remus to Lily. Without a word, he slid out of the booth and moved to stand beside Lily. She looked at him, her face colored with surprise.

"What're you doing?" she asked, though she couldn't tell if she was slurring her speech or not.

"Walking you out, of course."

"Don't be silly. I can walk myself just fine."

"Regardless of your capabilities, my mother taught me to always walk a lady to her cab and see her off safely." James replied. "I simply couldn't live with myself if I disgraced her by letting you hail a cab yourself."

Lily snorted, knowing James was both serious and sarcastic.

"It's better to just humor him, Evans. You should know that." Sirius chimed in, smirking from his place at the table. Lily flushed slightly at the hint of her shared past with James.

"Fine." she sighed. Bidding Sirius and Remus goodnight once more, she turned and made her way through the crowded pub once more, though this time it proved more difficult to weave through the crowd and James had to reach out and grab her elbow to steady her several times. Each time left a burning sensation on her skin in the shape of his hand that she tried not to think about.

When they got to the door, James grabbed Lily's coat and helped her into it, his fingers brushing her collarbone as he adjusted the lapels for her. Lily scolded herself for noticing. James believed she was getting married tomorrow, there was no way he had any ulterior motives, and he definitely wasn't touching her on purpose. She was being foolish for reacting to something so simple as a brush of his fingers. When he moved to wrap her scarf around her neck, she grabbed it from him with more force than was probably necessary and stepped outside, wrapping the material around her own neck as she did.

"Well," Lily said, stopping on the curb outside the pub and turning to face James. "Thank you for walking me out. Euphemia would be proud to know you were such a perfect gentleman."

"I'm not feeling too gentlemanly right now, so I think you're wrong about that. But you're welcome all the same." James replied.

Lily shivered at the tone of his voice, but pretended it was from the cold air. "Goodnight then."

"I haven't gotten you a cab yet." He stuck his hand in the air-the universal signal of hailing a cab-and grinned at her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "James, you don't need to hail me a cab. You didn't even put your coat on, you'll freeze."

James stepped closer to her. His hazel eyes were burning with emotion as he looked down at her. "Are you really happy Lily?"

Instead of looking away, like she wanted to, she held his gaze. There was so much she wanted to say to him in that moment.

Seeing him again had brought all of her feelings to the surface, magnifying and intensifying them all. What she found most shocking of all, however, was the fact that the feeling that she wasn't good enough for him-the feeling that she had let eat away at her until she ended their relationship when it had so much potential-seemed so insignificant in the face of all the other emotions-the need, her want for him, the rightness of just standing next to him, the feeling in her stomach when she saw the heated look in his eyes.

With a sigh, she moved to step back, still searching for the right thing to say in response to his question, but the cobbled sidewalk and the alcohol in her system worked against her and she stumbled. Luckily for Lily, James had fast reflexes and reached out to stop her from falling backwards, his hands closing around her upper arms as he pulled her back towards him, where she ended up flush against his chest.

The adrenaline-she was convinced it was this, and not the fact that she was touching _so much_ of James at once-had her heart beating faster than normal and her breath coming in short gasps. His chest was solid beneath her hands, and she could feel that his heart was racing slightly under her palm. For a second-just a split second-she closed her eyes and allowed herself to pretend that she was supposed to be pressed against him like that.

When she opened her eyes again, she dared to glance up at James only to find him looking intently down at her. There was a heat burning in his eyes that set a fire of its own down in the pits of Lily's stomach and her lips parted.

"Lily," James said softly, one hand moving from her arm up to her face, where he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers trailed along her jaw to her chin and he tipped her face upwards. She knew he was going to kiss her, she could feel it deep in her bones, and yet she was doing nothing to stop him.

Before his lips touched hers, two bright beams of light swept over them, bringing Lily's sense back to her. The cab had arrived to take her back to her hotel, where she would wake up in the morning and get ready for a fake wedding to her best mate because she was too much of a prideful coward to admit that she was really, truly, and hopelessly in love with the man standing in front of her. Double fucking damn.

Lily stepped away from James hastily, straightening her coat and pushing her hair back to avoid looking at him. "Guess that's my cue."

"Guess so." James replied, his voice much colder than it had been only moments before.

"Goodnight then." Lily tried to be brave and raised her eyes to meet his, but he was looking down at his feet, his hand buried deep in his unruly hair. With a sigh filled with all the regret and yearning she harbored, she turned and ducked into the cab, closing the door on her relationship with James once and for all.

**A/N: There it is! Like always, I love and appreciate any and all feedback, whether it be a keyboard smash, a particular part you enjoyed, or anything else, really. Seeing comments on here is such a rewarding feeling and it really does keep me going. Until next time! xox**


	12. The Truth

James watched Lily's cab pull away and turn the corner down the street, taking her back to her hotel. He ran his hand through his hair and scuffed his toe against the cobbled sidewalk in frustration. He told himself he was going to behave, make friends with Remus, and accept that Lily was marrying him. But then he saw her when she walked into the bar-his eyes drawn to her like some otherworldly force-and every rational thought flew out of his head.

She was more beautiful than he had remembered, with her long auburn hair flowing down her back and framing her angular face. Her cheeks flushed when he stepped into the bar and the warmth of the air hit her. Even from across the room, he could see the incredible green of her eyes. And when she finally caught sight of him, he couldn't help but notice the smile that instantly came to her face as she waved hesitantly at him.

He hadn't planned on kissing her cheek, either. He only meant to give her a quick hug, but the moment he touched her hand he couldn't resist. Her skin was just as soft as ever, and he was pleased when she sucked in a shaking breath at their close proximity. It was tourture, sure, to the rational side of his brain to know that she wasn't quite as unaffected by his presence as she wanted to be, but the purley male part of his brain crowed at the thought.

Sitting across from her all night proved to be one of the hardest things he had ever had to do, but it was nowhere near as difficult as holding her pressed against his chest and _not _kissing her. It was like a gift, almost, when she stumbled, because James finally had an excuse to touch her. He nearly came unraveled when she looked up at him with her green eyes wide and expressive and her lips parted like she wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her.

Then the cab came, saving him from muddying the situation, and he sent Lily off to her hotel, where she would spend the next morning getting ready for her wedding. Which left James standing in the cold, trying to rally the courage to return to the booth in the bar and face Remus knowing that he had almost kissed the man's fiancee and didn't feel the slightest bit sorry about it.

He remained in the cold for a few more minutes, steeling himself and trying to steady his thoughts, because as much as he didn't want to go into the bar, he _did _want to get in a cab of his own and go tell Lily that she couldn't get married tomorrow, because if she felt even a sliver of what he felt, she would know it wasn't right.

Instead of doing that, though, James sighed once more and turned, walking back into the bar. From the door, he could see that Sirius was still talking animatedly with Remus-the two of them were absolutely piss drunk-and laughing. As small of a consolation as it was, the fact that Sirius had taken to Remus so keenly was a sign that at least he was a good bloke.

As he neared them, their voices carried over the other patrons of the bar. "I can't believe you guys are really getting married. I mean, no offense mate, but you don't see anything more than very platonic friends."

"You're more right than you know." Remus slurred, tilting his glass towards Sirius and laughing when some of the drink sloshed over onto the table.

James, curiosity piqued, slid back into the booth. "What do you mean?"

Remus started a little at the sudden reappearance of James but Sirius merely grinned and slapped James on the back heartily.

"James here is a little too invested in this situation, just ignore him."

James shot Sirius a look, but Remus was studying him, his brow furrowed as he looked him over through narrowed eyes.

"James doesn't quite have the right to feel invested anymore, now does he?" Remus retorted, the alcohol in his system making him more outspoken than he would be under any other circumstances.

"Bloody hell," Sirius laughed. "You're right there, mate."

"I care about Lily, and it she's happy is all." James said slowly. He had had far less to drink than either of the other two men, and he didn't want to start an argument.

"Didn't seem like you cared about her when the two of you broke up." Remus shrugged.

James scoffed. "She broke up with me! Didn't give me a choice in the matter."

Remus rolled his eyes. "If you let her go that easily, that's on you mate."

Sirius snorted, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he looked between his best mate and this new bloke that was witty and charming and entirely surprising. A glare from James suppressed his laugh, though, and he chose to sip his drink quietly as he watched whatever was about to happen between the two of them unfold.

"I didn't just let her go easily. I called. I tried to talk to her. She never answered the phone."

"You could have come to see her. Could have begged for her back, or even just given it the slightest bit of effort."

"I didn't know where she lived, for fuck's sake! I was supposed to go to hers for the first time the day that we broke up. Otherwise, I would've been there."

Remus shrugged again. "Seems you could've done a bit more."

"Look, I loved Lily more than anything. Damn it all, but I still do. I want nothing more than to punch you just for the simple fact that you get to marry her, but I won't because she obviously loves you." James ran a frustrated hand through his hair, clenching the strands in his fist and tugging slightly. "I should have done more, when she ended it. But I also didn't want to push her. I understood where she was coming from, what with her parents and how her sister is. I thought maybe time would help, but now here we are and I'm a bloody idiot who's going to have to watch her marry you and it's my own damn fault."

Sirius was looking between James and Remus with wide eyes. He had seen James get emotional, but it took a lot and never happened when there were other people present. But there he was, breathing heavier as though his speech had taken as much effort as running a marathon, his eyes burning with raw, unfiltered emotion.

"That's more like it." Remus said in a surprisingly calm tone. He took another sip of his drink and looked at James steadily. "Now, Lily is going to bloody murder me for this, but I think it's only right that you know the truth…"

**A/N: Comments mean the world to me! See you soon for another chapter. xox**


	13. The Morning After

When Remus woke that morning, his head was throbbing uncontrollably and his body felt as though he had been hit by a high-speed train. He wasn't sure how many drinks he had consumed at the bar with Lily, Sirius, and James, but he knew that he was regretting every single one of them now.

Without opening his eyes, he rolled over with a groan and bumped into something hard in the bed next to him. A muffled noise came from the lump under the covers and Remus's eyes shot open at the same time he sat bolt upright.

Panicked, Remus yanked the duvet down, exposing not only his own half-clothed body but the body of another person-a very attractive person with tangled black hair, stubble shadowing the sharp jawline, and intense grey eyes that were currently narrowed in Remus's direction. Fuck.

"Er...what…" Remus trailed off, unable to form-let alone articulate-a solid thought.

Sirius sat up and pushed his hair out of his face. "Morning to you too."

"Goodmorning." Remus, ever polite even in the face of awkward situations, managed to say.

Sirius grinned and flopped back onto the pillows, folding his arms behind his head as his eyes ran over Remus's bare chest.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Remus asked as he pushed himself out of bed and reached for his jumper that was laying across the foot of the bed. He tugged it on self-consciously, still able to feel Sirius's eyes on him.

"Don't you remember?"

"Honestly? No. I was piss drunk last night."

"Well, after you told James and I the truth about this whole wedding thing," Sirius began.

Remus spun around, his eyes wide with panic. "Fuck. Shit, bloody fucking hell and damn."

Sirius pushed himself up into a seated position. "That bad, huh?"

"I need to tell Lily. She doesn't know that you both know. Fuck, she's going to kill me." Remus shouted. Both hands shot to his hair and he tugged on the strands as he began to pace around the room. Suddenly, he stopped and turned on the spot, his eyes rising to meet the amused gaze of Sirius. "We can come back to the other part of this discussion, but I can't leave Lily to be blindsided."

Sirius nodded. "You'd better hurry. Knowing James, he's already on his way to the venue."

Remus spun again, grabbing his phone. He punched Lily's number in rapidly and tapped his foot as the connection dialed up and it started to ring.

"Shit!" He hit redial immediately when her phone took him to voicemail. "She's not answering."

"What're you going to do?" Sirius asked.

Remus threw his phone down on the bed next to Sirius and reached for the closest pair of trousers, pulling them on haphazardly. "I need to go tell her."

"This is like a real life drama. I love it." Sirius grinned and pushed himself off of the bed. "I'll drive."

Remus grinned, and despite the panic in his gut and the seriousness of the situation, a laugh bubbled up and escaped his throat. "Don't think I'm trying to avoid talking about this...other stuff." He gestured between them.

Sirius waved him off. "Please. We've got all the time in the world for that. Now stop dithering and let's go. These two gits need some serious intervention."

Feeling lighter than he had in ages-even with the possibility of Lily murdering him when she found out what he had accidentally on purpose done-Remus followed Sirius out the door of his hotel, the door shutting behind them with a soft click.


	14. The Confession

Lily stood, examining her reflection in the floor length mirror. The dress—borrowed from Mary's mother—was beautiful. Mary had gone above and beyond with alterations and Lily felt her eyes begin to sting. This was the dress that she should have been wearing on her _actual _wedding day. She shook her head, blinking furiously to keep the tears she could feel coming at bay. There was no going back now, they were already in too deep. She just had to follow through with their plan and hope for the best, no matter how much she wanted to jump ship. They had put far too much effort into all of this.

She had kept her makeup simple—just a bit of mascara and red lipstick—and she was glad for it when she was able to wipe the few escaped tears off her cheek without coming away with half her appearance. With a sigh, Lily brushed her hair back over her shoulder. The soft auburn waves hung halfway down her back, curling gently at the ends.

Lily smoothed the material down her stomach, her hands lingering at her waist. She didn't know what she should be doing, everything just felt wrong, but she didn't know how she could possibly fix it at this point. A movement in the mirror caught her attention and she spun, breath catching in her throat as she realized it was James Potter leaning almost casually in the doorframe.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to say, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You look beautiful."

She could feel the heat of the blush creeping up her throat. "That's not an answer."

"I came to see you."

"You would've seen me in about twenty minutes."

"You'd really go through with this?" James questioned, his brow was furrowed in confusion and Lily could see something that looked like frustration lingering in his expression.

"What?" Lily faltered, her heart skipping a beat. "I mean, of course…"

He interrupted her, stepping into the room as he spoke. "Lily, I know."

"Know what?" She was frozen on the spot, though she could feel her heart beating as though it was trying to escape her chest.

"I know about the con."

Lily's eyes widened and she stumble backwards, her legs bumping into the arm of the sofa. She sank down onto it, thankful that it was there, otherwise her legs might've given out on her due to the shock from his words.

"Remus let it slip last night," James continued.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They both paused, a tense silence filling the room. Lily dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to meet James's eye. She didn't know how she could explain this properly without looking like a mad woman—or a criminal—but she knew she owed James at least a semblance of an explanation.

She glanced back up at him. He was still standing near the door, looking at her expectantly. She swallowed, feeling completely tongue-tied and incredibly foolish. She didn't know how she could ever make sense of her actions, how she could ever make him understand that in the beginning, it had been mostly for fun and a little bit of money. She absolutely knew that she would never be able to rationalize the panic she had been sent into when she saw his name on the RSVP card—the panic that had blown the entire scheme up into something much more than she had ever even dreamed.

James stepped further into the room, skirting around her and taking residence near the fireplace to her right. He shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets and rocked on his heels. He seemed content to wait for Lily to explain.

Lily opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Remus came skidding to a stop in the doorway. He bent, resting his hands on his knees as he sucked in air.

"Lily!" Remus puffed out. "Shit, Lily I'm so sorry! I was piss drunk and told them…"

Lily cleared her throat and Remus looked up. Lily tipped her head in James's direction and Remus followed, his eyes widening as he saw James standing beside the fire.

"Fuck."

Lily let out a shaky laugh, unable to contain herself at the panicked expression on Remus's face. She managed to meet James's eye and was relieved to see a glimmer of amusement there.

"It's fine, Remus." Lily said, turning back to her friend. "I think it was about time. Thanks for the heads up though."

"I tried calling! Your cell was off." Remus explained. "I ran all the bloody way here from your hotel."

"I appreciate the effort then, no matter how futile." Lily replied, smiling softly. Her eyes flickered to James, heart skipping a beat at the expression—humor tinged with disbelief and confusion—on his face. "I think I have a bit of explaining to do, however."

Remus looked at James, then back at Lily. "Right. I'll let you get to it then."

He nodded and turned to go, but only took one step before he turned back to face them once more.

"Listen, mate, go easy on her yeah? I know I told you this last night, but try to remember it wasn't just her involved, and we didn't mean any harm."

James nodded, his lips quirking up into a small grin. "I won't be too hard on her."

"Brilliant. I'll—er—I'll just let you get to it then." Remus waved awkwardly over his shoulder, spared one last apologetic smile for Lily, and hurried off down the hall.

Both James and Lily were still as they listened to the heavy outer door thud shut behind Remus. Lily let out a sigh and turned her neck to look at James, resting her chin on her shoulder as she observed him.

He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her to begin. She knew she wouldn't be getting out of this without enlightening him on exactly what had been happening. Instead of speaking, she stood, smoothing her dress out of habit as she did. It was then that she realized she was still wearing the wedding gown.

"I know I have a lot to explain," Lily began, biting her lip. "But do you mind if I change out of this before I start?"

James shrugged. "You're not going to try to run out on me, are you?"

Lily shook her head. "I'll be quick, I promise. Then I'll explain everything."

She turned, moving across the room swiftly. Her jeans and sweater from that morning were folded on a chair next to the vanity and she scooped them up before stepping to the bathroom. Lily stopped just in front of the door and twisted back to look at James, worrying her lip between her teeth again.

"What is it?" he questioned, noticing her look.

"Erm, well, I need a bit of help. If you don't mind." She hoped he didn't notice her voice cracking.

He stepped towards her, his hands still deep within his pockets. Lily watched him cross the room, unable to tear her gaze away from his serious face. She felt the charge in the air when he was only a foot away and she tried her best to ignore the goosebumps rising on her skin.

He looked at her expectantly and she knew there was no hiding the flush that spread up her throat and across her cheeks. She gestured vaguely to her back with one hand, the other clutching her clothes to her chest as if her measly sweater and jeans were armor against the man standing before her.

"There's buttons." Lily explained. "I can't reach them on my own."

She swallowed, watching James process what she was asking him—surprise and something else flitting over his features before the cool mask was back in place.

"Turn around then."

Lily turned so that he was behind her. She felt him step closer and found herself holding her breath as he extracted his hands from his pockets and gathered her hair in them, twisting it efficiently and laying it over her shoulder, out of the way. His knuckles brushed the back of her neck, sending a tingle down her spine.

James cleared his throat, moving even closer to her as his hands roamed over the buttons that held the dress closed from her neck to her waist. She sucked in a breath as his fingers moved over her skin, unclasping the buttons one by one. She could feel the warmth of his breath across her neck and shoulders, accompanied by the heat radiating from him. Lily couldn't help but notice there was a slight tremble to his hands the further down her back he got. Try as she might to ignore it, she was glad to see that she wasn't the only one affected by their proximity.

After what felt like years, James undid the last button at the small of her back. Lily's body was strung tight as a bow, the air around them charged with _something_ that felt heavy and important. His hands lingered at her waist, hovering just above her hips.

With a burst of courage, Lily spun slowly to face him. They were close enough to one another that her chest brushed his and his hands skimmed her hips. She looked up into his face and saw that he was just as rattled by the charge between them as she was. He swallowed and rested his hands on her hips, holding her in place.

"James…" Lily breathed. She knew her face was exposing more of her emotions that she should be showing him—especially because they still had so much to discuss—but James Potter had a way of getting under her skin from the very first day they had met.

James closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them again, he stepped back and removed his hands from her hips—albeit reluctantly—and turned to face the fireplace on the other side of the room.

"You should go change."

"Right…" Lily whispered. She felt foolish and stupid. "Thanks, for the buttons."

She turned on her heel, clutching her clothes to her chest tightly, and shut herself in the bathroom. Lily took her time changing out of the dress, taking care to slip it off slowly and hand it back on the hanger, tucking it back into the special garment bag.

She knew it was more because she was being a coward than anything else, but she couldn't help it. She had spent so much of her adult life trying not to be vulnerable, knowing that when she was vulnerable was when she got hurt-she just had to think about how Petunia had always treated her-and now she faced a situation where she had to be more vulnerable than she had been since before the deaths of her parents.

When she finally slipped back into her own sweater and jeans, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still done up and her makeup looked decent, though her cheeks were pink from the anxiety she was facing. She managed to take a few deep breaths-trying her best to remember the techniques she learned at the yoga class that Marlene had forced her to go to a few times years ago.

Bracing her hands on either side of the sink, Lily closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the cool glass of the mirror. "You can do this. You have to do this."

With one last glance at her reflection-the image of her determined face lingering in her mind-Lily opened the bathroom door and stepped back into the room, her eyes moving immediately to James, who had seated himself in the armchair facing the fire. Lily moved across the room slowly and came to stand before him.

He looked up at her when she stepped around the armchair. "I thought you might've decided to lock yourself in there forever."

"I may have considered it."

The corners of his mouth tipped up. "Glad you decided against it."

A smile graced Lily's face as she sat in the seat across from James. "Me too. I've avoided my problems for long enough."

James leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, bringing his clasped hands up so he could rest his chin on his knuckles while he looked at her. Lily shifted nervously. She didn't even know where to start, there was so much she wanted to say to him, things she needed to explain.

"Where do I even start?" she chuckled, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Can we start at the beginning? Our breakup?" James asked, looking at her seriously.

Lily nodded, swallowing hard. "I've regretted it since the moment the words left my mouth. I didn't want to break up. I didn't want to be without you. But I was bloody terrified. All my life, my sister told me I wasn't good enough. And then when my parents died, it was like I broke everything I loved, and Petunia enforced that idea in my head with every word she said to me."

Lily broke off and stared at her hands for a minute before looking back at James, holding his gaze with a burning intensity that she hoped conveyed all the feelings behind her words. She needed him to understand how broken she had been as a person, how terrified and unworthy she felt all the time.

"From the moment I realized how much I cared about you, I was looking for an out. Not consciously, obviously, but it was there, in the back of my mind. That niggling little voice telling me that I wasn't good enough for you and that if I stayed with you I would ruin you, just like I thought I ruined my parents' lives because I loved them. It's a hard mindset to get out of when its all you've ever heard from one of the people you look up to most in the world.

So when I saw Cecelia kissing you, I knew that was it. That would be the thing I could cling to in order to end things. Because I knew I loved you, and I didn't want to break you. Even though I knew you would never kiss her, would never cheat, I still used it as an escape because I didn't know I had any other option."

Lily could feel the tears burning behind her eyes and swallowed hard, trying to force them back. She didn't want to cry. Not yet at least. James sat, watching her with serious eyes as she explained. His brow had creased as she talked, and she could tell that he wanted to interject but he was holding himself back so she could get out everything she needed to say.

"It was all me. I was in my own head about everything, and instead of coming to you I pushed you away and burnt our chances to the ground. And I've been miserable ever since." Lily let out a shaky laugh. "I even kept your shirt, the one you wore to the wedding we went to. I sleep in it sometimes, when I'm really hurting."

James laughed. "I always wondered what happened to that shirt. Sirius said the dry cleaners probably lost it."

Lily couldn't help but smile and shake her head. "Anyway, Remus and Mary were great. They've been there for me, even though I never really talked about what happened between us. But Remus and I have both had a hard time finding jobs since finishing uni. That's how this entire thing can to be."

Lily gestured around them, indicating the situation they were in.

"I don't see how faking a wedding has anything to do with not having jobs." James asked, leaning back in his seat.

Lily shifted in her seat and closed her eyes. "It's so stupid. We were drinking and Remus made some off the wall comment about people giving money away like nothing when they're rich. It made me think of when I interned for Sirius and was always sending out gifts, even if he didn't know the people."

Lily saw the moment James made the connection, his eyes brightening and a slight grin passing across his face. He was always one for a good prank, and though the con had complicated things exponentially, the thought behind it was a rather good one.

"You were never supposed to get an invitation, you know." Lily continued, raising an eyebrow at him. "This was never supposed to be anything so grand. We were only going to get the gifts and money and that was the end of it. But then Remus messed up and sent you and Sirius invitations and the two of you actually RSVP'd."

James ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sure that complicated things a bit."

"More than a bit. I freaked out. Here I was, holding an RSVP from the man that I lo…" Lily cut off abruptly and cleared her throat, her cheeks reddening. "An RSVP to a wedding that wasn't real and all of a sudden we had to plan an actual wedding because I was too stubborn and stupid to just admit that it was a ruse."

James shook his head. "All that trouble just because my mother taught me to always RSVP."

Lily laughed. "I'm sure if Euphemia knew what it caused she would have been more lax in instilling that in you."

James shrugged. "'Probably not. Mum loves a good drama."

"Right. And this is a drama for the ages, isn't it?"

"So you planned an entire wedding for our sake," James said slowly. "And you really would have gone through with it?"

"I had doubts from the moment I saw you last night." Lily replied. She looked James dead in the face, her eyes hiding nothing of her thoughts and feelings. "I don't know that I would have been brave enough to call it off it I hadn't seen you this morning, but I wanted to."

"Can I ask you a question, Lily?" James said, and Lily was surprised that he seemed to be changing the subject of their conversation.

"Of course, its the least I owe you."

"Do you love me?"

Lily froze. Of all the things she had thought he would ask, that was not a question she had been expecting. After a beat, she blinked and looked into his eyes, which were burning hazel behind his specs.

"Yes."

"Are you willing to be brave and work through things together, or are you going to keep running?"

She swallowed. "I want to be brave."

"Good." James stood and held his hand out to her. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and he pulled her up next to him. She tilted her head to look up at him. "I'll do my best to help you be brave, but you have to promise to talk to me."

She nodded dumbly, at a loss for words.

"I love you, Lily Evans. I think I've loved you since you spilt coffee all over me in the lobby of Sirius's building. I never stopped loving you. It broke me when you left, and it nearly killed me when I thought you were getting married. I can't even begin to explain how it felt to hear that it was all a con from Remus last night. It felt like I had been living in some dark night for ages, and I finally caught a glimpse of the daylight."

James slid his hand up her arm, smoothing it down her back to rest on her hip as he pulled her closer to him. Her hands moved to rest on his chest and she could feel the steadying _thump thump thump_ of his heart under her palm.

"I love you too, James Potter. I'm sorry I'm foolish and stubborn and a bit of a muppet. I'll try to be brave, to talk to you and to not let my sister's words worm their way into my head. I don't want to ever be without you again. This last year and a half was miserable."

James brought one hand up to cup her cheek and she closed her eyes and leaned in to the sensation. When she opened her eyes again, James was looking at her with so much emotion burning behind his eyes that it overwhelmed her. Of their own accord, her hands slid up his chest and wrapped around his neck as she rose up to her tip-toes and pressed her lips against his.

Kissing James was like coming home. She no longer felt like she wasn't good enough for him, because she had realized that it wasn't possible to feel the way she did about him and not be enough. Her love for James was an all-consuming feeling that filled her body and spilled over, painting him golden. She knew it wasn't going to be easy. They still had a lot to talk about. They had to get to know each other again, but she was looking forward to it more than she had ever looked forward to anything. She didn't want to look at anything but him.

James pulled away first, trailing his lips over her jaw and down her throat before gently kissing her eyelids, the tip of her nose, and finally her forehead before he rested his own against hers. She drew in a shaky breath and pulled back to look at him.

"What are we going to do now?"

James grinned. "I was thinking we take an escape route and leave damage control to Sirius and Remus."

Lily laughed. "We can't do that to them!"

"Why not? Sirius lives for this kind of thing. And if I'm not mistaken, Remus and Sirius hit it off quite well last night, so I'm sure they won't mind handling it together."

Lily smiled, her eyes bright with happiness. "I thought I was picking up on that, but I wasn't sure."

James pulled his hand away from her waist and dug around in his trouser pockets before pulling out his phone and typing out a short text. "Oh yeah, they left the bar together and Sirius didn't come back to the hotel room last night."

"What a surprising turn of events." Lily laughed. She reached up and adjusted James's glasses, letting her fingers linger, brushing his jaw and pushing a lock of hair away from his eyes. It felt so nice, being able to touch him again, she didn't want to stop.

James's phone pinged and he looked down at it, his eyes skimming the screen quickly. He looked back up at Lily with a grin on his face.

"What?"

James held the phone out to her and she took it. There, on the screen, was a picture of Remus and Sirius. Sirius had one arm thrown around Remus's neck, pulling him closer, while the other held the phone out in front of them to capture the selfie. They were both grinning widely, and Remus was giving them a thumbs up. The caption read: "About bloody time you two figure your shit out. We'll handle the fall-out, and we don't want to see you for at least two weeks. James, the villa in Italy is open and you know where the keys are."

Lily looked up at James, who was smiling down at her, his eyes brimming with love. She recognized it because she knew she was looking at him in exactly the same way.

"Fancy a trip to Italy, love?"

Lily reached out and grabbed James's hand, squeezing tightly. "I'd be happy anywhere, as long as I'm with you."

**A/N: We're almost to the end! Please, let me know what you think, as I love to hear from all of you amazing readers! xox**


	15. Epilogue

_Two Years Later _

The sun was shining through the trees, creating a magical, ethereal vision as the beams danced between the seats arranged in rows on the grass. Lily could see the entire venue from where she stood on the small balcony, tucked away on the far side of the building and away from the eyes of the guests. Mary had done an incredible job arranging everything, and Lily was in awe as she looked out and saw the vision that had resided in her mind for the past year come to life.

"Lil? You almost ready?" Marlene called from inside the room.

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she turned and stepped back into the room. Marlene and Mary were lounging on the love seats, their emerald green dresses arranged around themselves so as not to wrinkle. They both looked up at Lily when she re-entered the room, their eyes bright and the smiles on their faces wide.

"You look stunning." Mary breathed as she stood and crossed the room.

Lily smiled at her. "So do you."

Mary laughed and rolled her eyes. "Don't deflect. You're breathtaking and you deserve to be. Own it."

"You know she won't, Mary, so don't waste your breath." Marlene retorted. She was grinning when she crossed the room to stand by the other two girls. "But seriously, Lily, you look amazing."

Marlene clasped Lily's arm and turned her gently so that she was facing the ornate floor-length mirror hung on the wall. As she took in her appearance, she could see that Marlene and Mary were right. She did look stunning.

Her dress was creamy white and clung to her body, pooling around her feet. When she walked, the material flowed into a foot-long train decorated in simple beading that sparkled when the light hit it. The back of her dress was sheer material joined together by delicate buttons from the base of her spine to the nape of her neck. Marlene had done her hair, and the auburn tresses were curled and pinned into a complicated and elegant up-do that Lily would never be able to recreate in her life. Mary had added her own touch by tucking small pearls and little bits of baby's breath here and there in the locks. With the rest of her appearance done up so grandly, Lily kept her make-up simple. Just a touch of mascara and a bit of lip gloss.

Lily met Mary's eyes in the mirror, then Marlene's. "This wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for you two."

Mary reached down and squeezed her hand. "You're my best mate, Lily Evans. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Marlene clapped her hands together. "Alright, let's not get mushy now. No tears before it even starts."

Lily laughed and blinked back the tears that had been building in her eyes. She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress. Even though she knew she was making the best decision of her life, her nerves were starting to hum. She could feel her palms getting warm and her heart beating a little faster than usual.

There was a knock on the door to their room that caused Lily to jump. Marlene shot a curious look at her and crossed the room, opening the door a crack so that Lily wasn't visible to whoever stood on the other side.

"C'mon, let us in. You aren't guarding the bloody Queen or anything."

Lily grinned when she recognized the voice. "Let them in, Mar."

Marlene sighed and shook her head, but did as she was told and opened the door. Sirius spilled in as though he had been pressed against the door trying to get in, followed by a much more composed Remus.

"Hi boys." Lily laughed. Her nervousness dissipated immediately with their arrival.

Remus steadied Sirius and the two of them looked at her, their eyes widening.

"Damn, Evans." Sirius cleared his throat. "James is one lucky bloke."

"He's right, Lily. You look absolutely wonderful."

Remus crossed the room and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Lily's cheek. Lily wrapped her arms around him in a hug, careful not to wrinkle her dress as she tightened her arms around him.

When she released him, she grinned at Sirius. "Seems you're pretty lucky yourself, Black."

Sirius's eyes went to Remus, who blushed at the expression on Sirius's face as he looked over Remus dressed in his dark suit. "The luckiest."

"What're you doing here, though?" Lily asked. "Shouldn't you be with James?"

Sirius chuckled. "I was sent to check and make sure you hadn't gotten cold feet."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked down at her feet, covered by her dress. "Nope. Toasty warm."

"Good. Make sure they stay that way. I'll go and reassure him, and we'll see you down the aisle."

With another heated look in Remus's direction, Sirius slipped back out of the room. Remus turned to Lily. "Are you ready, Miss Evans?"

Lily looked around the room, taking in three of her best mates, who were all smiling at her. She considered herself one of the luckiest women in the world, to be surrounded by such incredible people. With Marlene and Mary standing beside her as her bridesmaids, and Remus walking her down the aisle, she couldn't be more blessed.

"More than ready."

Lily linked arms with Remus and followed Marlene and Mary out the door and down the sweeping staircase before stepping outside and into the vision that Lily had been looking down upon from the balcony. Marlene and Mary started the procession, and Lily raised her eyes and scanned the crowd. Petunia wasn't there-she hadn't approved-but the rest of the rows of seats were filled with friends she had in uni, friends of James, and James's family members. She could see Euphemia turned completely around in her seat, beaming at her. Sirius was standing just behind her, near the altar, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

Then her eyes rose further and she caught side of him. James. Dressed in a dapper suit, he looked more handsome than ever. His glasses sat crooked on his nose and his hair was a wild mess, but Lily wouldn't have it any other way. Those little imperfections were what made him perfect to her-they made him _her _James. His eyes locked on her and she felt the warmth that she felt every time he looked at her spread across her whole body. This was real. She was marrying James Potter-the love of her life, her partner and soulmate-_finally. _There was nothing fake about it, not the ceremony and definitely not the feelings.

When the bridal march began to play, Remus looked down at her, a smile on his face. She smiled back up at him, her grip tightening around his arm before she took the first step down the aisle and into the rest of her life.

**A/N: Here it is! I can't believe I made it here, and I am so so so thankful for every single one of you that had been on this journey with me. I really hope it was as enjoyable for you as it was for me. This story was a fun one to tell, and I was lucky to be able to write it. Thanks again, to all you amazing readers. Without you, this would be meaningless. xoxo**


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